After learning that histrionic personality disorder would be used as part of the defense to explain, in part, the behavior of former Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky’s alleged sexual abuse of at least 10 young boys, I began to see suspicious indicators in a number of recent events. Okay class, pull out your copy of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of...

“I was thinking faster, harder, there was no fog – and nothing could distract me. I felt like Sherlock Holmes.” That’s what an 18-year-old high school student reported after taking a 36mg. tablet of Concerta, a drug used to control symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A few years ago I was returning home from the east coast by plane....

During a session of Contemporary Ethical Issues, a class taught by me and Professor Stephen Ambra at the New Hampshire Technical Institute, the subject of bullying came up, which prompted me to ask, “Show of hands, how many of you have ever been bullied?” Out of 36 students, I was surprised to discover an overwhelming majority had faced ridicule, coercion, harassment,...

Ahh, New York’s Columbia University… where the walls are ivy, the shirts are Ralph Lauren and the pedigree (alumni) includes five Founding Fathers, nine Supreme Court Justices, twenty-nine heads of state and three U.S. Presidents. It’s also where the Pulitzer Prize acknowledging excellence in journalism is administered each year. But wait, what’s this? As The New York Times reported (Dec. 3, 2006)...

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Rushworth Kidder, founder and president of The Institute for Global Ethics, whose stated mission is “To promote ethical behavior in individuals, and cultures of integrity in institutions and nations through research, public discourse, and practical action.” I first became acquainted with Rush through his book, How Good People Make Tough Choices. “At a...

The shameful release of New York’s public ranking of teachers by name caused me to think about the true influence teachers have on all of our lives. The dedication, inspiration, knowledge and influence of men and women given in such service has never been fully appreciated, or properly compensated. The best teachers I had were those that pushed, prodded, cheered,...

You never know where inspiration will come from. One of the great pleasures in teaching a class of motivated New Hampshire students about ethics are the many personal stories they share. The pre-class assignment was to answer the question derived from the book’s title: What do you stand for – what principles do you live by? Describe a moment of...

That was the front page headline on the Concord (New Hampshire) Monitor, Tuesday, January 17. One day earlier, Professor Stephen Ambra and I screened the film Good Night and Good Luck about the journalistic stand news icon Edward R. Murrow took against Senator Joseph McCarthy’s 1950s “Red” scare tactics. The film was part of ourContemporary Ethical Issues class at the New Hampshire Technical...

On Friday, November 4, Central Pennsylvania’s Patriot-Newswas the first to break the story on allegations of sex abuse on at least 8 young boys by former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky that go back as far as 1998. In ’02, staffer Mike McQueary personally witnessed another attack by Sandusky. Since that time, anyone with a microphone, camera crew or blog...

In a corner of my office, on a wall, hangs a framed memory that reads: “Presented by the Faculty Staff Club with appreciation to Jim Lichtman, writer & ethics specialist, What Do You Stand For? – Getting Back America’s Integrity, November 3, 2005.” The certificate was given (already framed) for a talk I presented to the Penn State Forum, signed...