An internal framework that guides judgments about right and wrong.
Reach for it when describing durable ethical orientation when choices remain difficult or socially costly
Her moral compass kept the procurement decision focused on fairness and public need.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
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| professional | |
| formal |
playful
Fits when one stable ideal provides memorable direction
Careful North star simplifies moral conflict to a single goal and can become slogan-like.
everyday
conscience
Fits when inner judgment produces approval, guilt, or restraint
Careful Conscience is a faculty or feeling, while a moral compass suggests an orienting framework.
everyday
values
Fits when deep priorities shape what a person chooses
Careful Values include taste and ambition and are not automatically moral.
warm
Fits when conduct remains aligned with stated moral commitments
Careful Integrity describes consistency, not the guidance used to choose among commitments.
professional
guiding ethic
Fits when one ethical commitment organizes a body of work
Careful A guiding ethic is usually explicit and narrower than an overall moral compass.
professional
principles
Fits when explicit commitments guide repeated decisions
Careful Principles can be unethical or rigid unless their content is named.
formal
ethical sense
Fits when someone perceives moral stakes with reasonable sensitivity
Careful Ethical sense is vague and may not translate into consistent action.
strong moral compass
A strong moral compass led him to disclose the conflict before voting.
serve as a moral compass
The patients' own priorities should serve as a moral compass for the program.
lose one's moral compass
An organization can lose its moral compass when targets replace human outcomes.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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