How to Fine-Tune Your Moral Compass

“The winds of moral opinion often blow so fast and furiously that cultural debris can obscure our vision, making moral clarity difficult to acquire.” ~KW

Does your moral compass point true north? Or is it a little askew? And how would you know? There are, of course, people now and through history who thought they were doing right when everyone else knew otherwise. So how do you know where your moral compass is pointing?

Perhaps it’s time for a tune-up. And why not? We tune our cars and go to the gym to tune up our hearts and go to the doctor to see where else we need an adjustment or two. Dentists and psychologists and mechanics and inspectors of all sorts are all in the job of tuning and adjusting the objects of their concern.

So it’s nothing strange that we may need regular moral tune-ups too. But how?

3 suggestions for fine-tuning your moral compass

1. School your moral compass by reading deeply from the world’s wisdom literature: Socrates, Mencius, Lao Tzu, Moses, Jesus, Buddha.

2. Read biographical accounts of those we celebrate and honor as moral heroes: Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.

3. Connect with the Divine: meditate, pray, read scripture, engage in selfless acts of service, walk the talk.

Just a handful of new practices can make all the difference in the world in getting you in tune with the best that is in you. These simple practices can help fine-tune your moral sensibilities and give your moral compass a good shake to get it back up to speed in this world of ours that can get even the best moral compasses out of whack from time to time.