The Appearance of Impropriety

This phrase has rubbed me the wrong way since I was old enough to create the appearance of impropriety. It started when I was in the Army. Being a female soldier, everything I did with my male counterparts and superiors was scrutinized, as was everything they did with me. I quickly learned that appearance was more important than fact in the eyes of most people and that I was expected to act accordingly. This idea did not settle well with me. When in the company of others who were perfectly satisfied living by their own code of ethics and placed little weight on what other people thought of their actions, this was at times problematic.

After leaving the Army, I began enjoying the freedoms that come with no longer having to live under the law of the Code of Military Justice and the higer so-called moral standards. I say “so-called” not to imply that soldiers are not of a high moral standard but rather that the avoidance of the appearance of impropriety can in itself create moral dilemas. 

It did not take long for me to see that this appearance of impropriety is as much a part of civilian life as it is for the military. Though, the consequences of being in an apparently compromising situation are usually more of a personal nature and unless you are a politician or judge you can choose to live by your own set of values rather than the opinions and perceptions of others.

The decision to place your own values above the perceptions of others can bring with it many unforseen consequences. As a manager or leader of people, it is easy to lose the trust and respect of those you must motivate to the cause. The discerning eyes of Americans can be easily turned away when they see something they feel violates their own codes of ethics and values. We do not live in a society where we are expected to blindly follow our leaders with undying loyalty. Quite to the contrary, we are expected to question our leaders. It is our duty as Americans to scrutinize political canidates in order to cast our vote for the best man (or woman) to lead our cherished democracy.

This attitude and way of live has naturally spilled over into every aspect of our lives. From the manager of your local McDonald’s on up to the president we expect our leaders to live up to a higher moral standard. How then, can you be natural and sincere, doing what is moral and honorable without allowing the possible appearance of impropriety to overshadow?