nGInsights: Are ethical standards generational?

I "teach" ethics. I've taught ethics classes hundreds of times to thousands of insurance professionals from every segment of our industry. I teach it because many state CE laws require them to take it so it works out great for me. I get paid to say things like this: "You are required by state law to take ethics training. How does that make you feel?"

I've heard hundreds of people tell me why they think us insurance folk have to take ethics. And these discussions can turn into shouting matches. At a recent class, an agent from Georgia filibustered about how Ethics is regional and that people become more reptilian the farther north they reside and that he has proof. Another agent in the same class - a transplant from Jersey - fired back that he never knew people to be unethical until his career "forced" him below the Mason-Dixon line. It was fantastic theatre.

I just got off another road show, and yes, there were ethics classes involved. The reason I'm writing about this is because, once again, the common theme surfaced. I'll call it the "ethics is a generational thing" theme. It's the one them that resurfaces in every single class in every single city in which I teach.

I ask the class what they think about ethics and someone who I'll describe as a "seasoned vet" says something similar to what this woman in my last class said. "I don't know about all this ethics stuff," she said. "But I'll tell you one thing: It's deteriorated over time." It's at this point that the other seasoned vets in the room nod their heads in silent agreement, a by osmosis lesson to the scatter of young professionals in the room. "We're only taking this nonsense because of you," is the message they fire in the direction of those dang whippersnappers clearly responsible for the downfall of ethics in insurance and society as we know it. "Back in my day people cared about how they treated each other," they say in unison.

It's clear that young insurance professionals have the deck stacked against them, not only because of the learning curve but because apparently those who have gone before are convinced that young agents have no ethical boundaries. So here's a question for you, oh young professionals of the industry: how does that make you feel?