Archive for January, 2009

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Dear Abby: Apologize anyway!

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

Yesterday’s “Dear Abby” column recognized an important but painful truth about apologies.  Titled “Words Can Inflict Wounds No Apology Can Fully Cure,” the column was devoted to stories about situations where people had said or done something dreadful then apologized for it, but the apology didn’t entirely restore the relationship.  The point was that, even [...]

Kudos go to Alexandria for hiring an ethicist

Monday, January 5th, 2009

The Washington Post reported recently that, faced with serious revenue shortfalls and painful spending cuts, the town of Alexandria, Virginia hired a professional ethicist to help officials recognize and account for the moral implications of their budgeting decisions.  This was an unusual step.  Although hospitals frequently hire ethicists to help them resolve difficult patient care [...]

This new year, get your apologies made!

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

It’s a brand new year, and time for us all to make our resolutions.  This tradition dates all the way back to ancient Rome, where it was customary to begin the new year by paying old debts, forgiving loans, freeing slaves, and otherwise agreeing to make peace.  This lovely tradition allowed everyone to start the [...]

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