When I started this blog about six weeks ago, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought it would simply be a matter of putting some thoughts to paper. I thought I would let the purpose of the blog unfold and just see where it takes me.

As it is essentially about ideas, I thought that this should be fairly easy. I guess there would be a rational aspect to writing about ethics, in that I could research or present diverse viewpoints and arguments. And then there was the creative aspect in how to present those ideas.

Part of writing about ethics means what a colleague would say as ‘taking sides’. It is putting a line in the sand and acting as provocateur. I haven’t really taken that approach, and tried to take a balanced and questioning approach to how I have written. That said, I have deliberately presented issues that are contentious or challenging for people. This has invariably evoked emotion and deeply held views by both readers and myself.

Writing about ethics is tougher than I imagined and I have found myself vulnerable in this. In writing about a topic and surfacing old memories for people and some deep hurt, how much am I responsible for that experience of pain? In approaching this writing as a form of service, what are the lines of  responsibility that I need to be conscious of?

When is the right time to present an idea?

What is the most sensitive, balanced and respectful way to do that?

Through this I am learning about Read the rest of this entry »