How ethics can help you make better decisions | Michael Schur (re-release) - TED Talks Daily

Summary

TED Talks Daily: Episode Summary

Title: How Ethics Can Help You Make Better Decisions | Michael Schur (Re-release)
Host/Author: TED
Original Release Date: July 2022
Summary Release Date: August 4, 2025

Introduction

In the enlightening episode of TED Talks Daily, writer and producer Michael Schur delves into the profound impact that ethical theories can have on everyday decision-making. Known for his work on acclaimed television shows such as The Office and The Good Place, Schur shares a personal narrative that underscores the importance of understanding philosophy to navigate moral dilemmas effectively.

Michael Schur's Background and Personal Story

Michael Schur begins by recounting a pivotal moment in his life that ignited his passion for ethics. He humorously reflects on his meticulous nature, highlighting his childhood penchant for following rules to the letter.

"I've always been an intense rule follower... I rinse my mouth with mouthwash for at least 30 seconds every night, because on the label it says use for 30 seconds." ([02:39])

Schur's journey into the study of ethics was catalyzed by a personal mishap in 2005—a minor car accident that spiraled into an ethical quandary during the tumultuous times of Hurricane Katrina. This incident serves as the cornerstone of his exploration into moral philosophy.

The Ethical Dilemma and Real-Life Example

Schur narrates the story of his wife’s fender bender during Hurricane Katrina:

"My wife, JJ, driving along in slow-moving traffic, bumps into the guy in front of her... we get a notice that the guy wants $836 because according to him, the entire fender needs to be replaced." ([04:30])

Faced with this unexpected claim, Schur initially dismisses the severity of the damage, suggesting that minor car dents are commonplace and trivial compared to the broader catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. His attempt to resolve the issue by offering a donation to the Red Cross instead of paying the claim unintentionally garners overwhelming support from his network, escalating the situation beyond his control.

"In like a day and a half, I had pledges from hundreds of people all across the country of more than $25,000 if this guy would agree not to file an insurance claim and fix his car." ([07:15])

This well-intentioned yet ethically flawed maneuver led Schur and his wife to confront feelings of guilt and confusion, prompting a deeper dive into philosophical ethics.

Philosophical Theories Explored

1. Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative

Schur introduces Kant’s principle, emphasizing the importance of universalizability in ethical decision-making.

"Kant says, when we're about to do something, we have to design a rule or a maxim that we could will to be universal... Would it get all screwed up?" ([10:45])

Applying this to his situation, Schur realizes that using unrelated global calamities to influence personal negotiations would be untenable if everyone adopted such behavior.

2. Aristotle and Virtue Ethics

Next, Schur explores Aristotle’s virtue ethics, which advocate for cultivating moral virtues to achieve a balanced character.

"Aristotle says there are certain qualities we should all have... things like generosity and courage and friendliness and mildness." ([12:30])

Schur acknowledges his excess of anger and deficiency in friendliness, recognizing the need for balance in his actions and emotions.

3. Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill)

Schur discusses utilitarianism’s focus on the consequences of actions, weighing the overall happiness against the pain caused.

"Utilitarians only care about the results of our actions... the happiness I'm creating outweighs the amount of pain and suffering." ([16:20])

However, he contemplates the broader societal impact, questioning whether the initial positive outcome truly outweighs the negative feelings and potential moral decay such actions could foster.

Application of Ethical Theories to Decision Making

Through his philosophical exploration, Schur confronts his ethical missteps and seeks guidance from academia. Engaging with philosophy professors, he gains insights into applying ethical theories to real-life situations.

"Understanding ethical theories is how we increase our chances of success at simply being human beings who have to negotiate with other human beings." ([25:10])

He emphasizes that while philosophical knowledge doesn't guarantee flawless decision-making, it enhances one's ability to handle complex moral dilemmas more thoughtfully and effectively.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Schur rectifies his mistake by apologizing to the individual involved and ensuring the substantial donation to the Red Cross is fulfilled. This experience solidifies his belief in the value of ethical understanding as a foundational tool for personal and societal betterment.

"By reading theories of ethics and understanding what they say... you will increase the chances that you sink the shot or that you at least get the ball close enough to the rim that you don't embarrass yourself." ([33:00])

Schur concludes by urging listeners to embrace ethical studies not as abstract concepts but as practical guides to enhancing human interactions and decisions.

"To me, there is nothing more important than that." ([34:15])

Key Takeaways

Personal Growth through Ethics: Schur’s journey illustrates how personal challenges can lead to profound philosophical insights.
Practical Application of Philosophical Theories: Understanding Kant, Aristotle, and utilitarianism provides frameworks for making informed and compassionate decisions.
Ethics as a Tool for Better Humanity: Ethical awareness fosters better interpersonal relations and societal well-being.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

"I've always been an intense rule follower... I rinse my mouth with mouthwash for at least 30 seconds every night." ([02:39])
"Kant says, when we're about to do something, we have to design a rule or a maxim that we could will to be universal... Would it get all screwed up?" ([10:45])
"Aristotle says there are certain qualities we should all have... things like generosity and courage and friendliness and mildness." ([12:30])
"Utilitarians only care about the results of our actions... the happiness I'm creating outweighs the amount of pain and suffering." ([16:20])
"Understanding ethical theories is how we increase our chances of success at simply being human beings who have to negotiate with other human beings." ([25:10])
"By reading theories of ethics and understanding what they say... you will increase the chances that you sink the shot or that you at least get the ball close enough to the rim that you don't embarrass yourself." ([33:00])
"To me, there is nothing more important than that." ([34:15])

Final Thoughts

Michael Schur’s TED Talk serves as a compelling reminder of the significance of ethical contemplation in our daily lives. By intertwining personal anecdotes with philosophical discourse, he effectively illustrates how ethics can guide us through moral uncertainties, ultimately fostering a more considerate and just society.

Transcript

Elise Hu (0:07)

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. What would the German philosopher Emmanuel Kant say about a fender bender? In this archive, Talk TV writer and producer Michael Schur, from hit shows like the Office and the Good Place, takes us on a surprisingly funny trip through the teachings of some of history's great philosophers. He walks us through how to confront life's moral dilemmas and shows how understanding ethical theories, both old and new, can help you make better, kinder decisions.

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Michael Schur (2:39)

I have been a television comedy writer for almost 25 years. I have written sketches and animated shows and sitcoms. But for the last decade, my real passion has been the study of ethics to a classic cautionary tale, right? You move to Hollywood, you get seduced by the bright lights and the fast cars, and before you know it you're reading 18th century German philosophy. I've always been an intense rule follower. When I was in kindergarten, our teacher would tell everyone to line up and I would immediately line up, and then I would look at all the other kids who were still goofing off, and I would think, what are they doing? Did they not hear her? She said to line up. I rinse my mouth with mouthwash for at least 30 seconds every night, because on the label it says use for 30 seconds. I know, I'm irritated by me too. But the real reason that I became interested in ethics is because in 2005, I royally and epically screwed something up. So 2005, my wife, JJ, driving along in slow moving traffic, bumps into the guy in front of her. Police officer, looks everything over, doesn't see any damage, they exchange numbers and they go on their way. A couple days later, we get a notice that the guy wants $836, because according to him, the entire fender needs to be replaced. This is happening during Hurricane Katrina. J.J. and I had just been to New Orleans on a trip. We had really fallen in love with this beautiful city, which was now literally underwater. I was very riled up. This was hitting me really hard. So I went and I looked at the guy's car. And if I got very close and I strained my eyes, I could just barely see this little line on the crease. It looked like the mark you make with a pencil on the wall when you're trying to hang a picture. And I told the guy essentially that he shouldn't care about this. I told him that things like this were why car insurance rates in LA were so expensive. I told him that cars get little dings and dents all the time and he was stupid to care about that. I told him that there were more important things in life than this, like Hurricane Katrina. And then I made him an offer. I said that I would donate $836 to the Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund in his name if he agreed not to file this claim and fix his car. He said he would think it over. So I went back to work, and as very confident people are wont to do, I started telling all my friends about how awesome I was being. And then they jumped in and started pledging more and more money if this guy would agree not to fix his car. So suddenly it was $2,000, then it was $5,000. In like a day and a half, I had pledges from hundreds of people all across the country of more than $25,000 if this guy would agree not to file an insurance claim and fix his car. And by the way, he has no idea this is happening. He is completely in the dark. I started A blog where I gave people hourly updates. Yeah, it's beginning to dawn on you what a bad idea this is, right? I started a blog, gave people updates. I got media inquiries from news programs, from npr. I had a dream of rescuing New Orleans by myself with nothing more than my computer and a fire hose of self righteous anger. And then I started to feel sick to my stomach and so did JJ at the exact same moment, we both were suddenly overcome with this awful feeling that there was something very bad and wrong about what we were doing, but we could not pinpoint what it was. I just remember thinking, all right, I don't care about cars getting little dings and dents, but this guy does. Is that wrong? Somehow I don't think that's wrong. And also, is this little tiny negotiation that we're in really worth all of this fury and rage and shame that I'm whipping up and sending in his direction? I don't think it is. So I did what any rational person would do in this situation. I started crying and I hid under my bed. And then I started reading philosophy and I started calling philosophy professors and asking them to talk this out with me. And in the process, yeah. And they all, by the way, did it because philosophy professors love talking about philosophy. The drop of a hat, they will all talk about philosophy with you. So in the process, I learn all of these incredibly wonderful theories that the smartest people who have ever lived have developed over the last 2,500 years that help us make better decisions and become better people. For example, I learned about Immanuel Kant and the categorical imperative. So Kant says, when we're about to do something, we have to design a rule or a maxim that we could will to be universal, meaning we have to imagine, what if everyone did what we're about to do? What would happen to the world? Would it be okay? Or would it get all screwed up? So the maxim I'm designing here is something like, anytime two people are in any kind of negotiation, one of them can drag into the negotiation an entirely unrelated global calamity and tell the other person that they shouldn't care about whatever they care about because they should care about that instead. That world would suck, right? Like your sister borrows $5 from you, you ask for it back. She says, how dare you care about $5 when the Polar ice caps are melting? No one wants to live in this world, right? Kant also says, by the way, that you should treat people as ends in themselves and not a means to an end. Meaning you shouldn't Use people to get what you want. Well, guess what I was doing. I also learned about Aristotle and the study of virtue ethics. So Aristotle says there are certain qualities we should all have. Things like generosity and courage and friendliness and mildness. And he wants us to practice them every day so that we not only have them, we have them in the exact right amount. We don't have a deficiency of them and we don't have an excess of them. Now, virtue ethics can be kind of maddeningly imprecise, but at the very least, it was pretty clear that I was exhibiting an excess of anger and maybe a deficiency of friendliness. I wasn't nailing it is the point. I definitely was not getting it exactly right. Then I learned about utilitarianism, made famous by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. And this one actually gave me a shred of hope that I was doing something good. Because utilitarians only care about the results of our actions. They only care that we are creating more happiness and pleasure than we are pain and suffering. So yes, I'm being obnoxious and moralistic and high handed to this guy, causing him some amount of pain. But an enormous amount of money is going to be given to people in great need. So the amount of happiness I'm creating outweighs the amount of pain and suffering. But the utilitarians also said that when we're calculating the amount of happiness or pain we've created, we can't just think about the one person we're dealing with. We have to think about the fact that everybody in our society will now both know this happened and will fear that it could someday happen to them. And since we've already seen what a terrible, stinky world I was trying to create, everyone in our society would become a little bit bummed out and sad by what I did. And so the total amount of pain and suffering I've created might actually outweigh the happiness. I never got a straightforward answer, obviously, because Aristotle never wrote about like fender benders involving horse drawn carriages in ancient Athens. But at the very least, it sure felt like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill would be a little disappointed in me. And it sure felt like Aristotle would be a little annoyed. And it sure felt like Immanuel Kant would wave a disapproving finger at me. And if all of the world's greatest philosophers are on one side of a debate and you are on the other side, you messed up. Okay, So I called the guy, I apologized profusely, I told him the entire story. He was very kind and forgiving, which was an enormous relief to me. I told him I had already cut him a check, which was in the mail. I went back to the blog. I told everybody the outcome. Most people, not all, but most of them, thought it was a pretty happy outcome. I encouraged them to give money to the Red Cross anyway, because giving money to hurricane victims is a nice thing to do. And in the end, more than $25,000 was indeed donated to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Don't applaud that. That's the happy result of a bad event. So why did this embarrassing, miserable mistake that I made make me want to continue to study moral philosophy? If I told you that you were going to be on Jeopardy, how would you prepare? You would read some trivia books and flip through a world atlas. If I told you that you were going to take a half court shot at an NBA game for the chance to win $50,000, how would you prepare? You would get a basketball. You would go to the YMCA and you would practice hucking up half court shots. Well, you're probably never going to be on Jeopardy. You are probably never going to take a half court shot at an NBA game for a chance to win $50,000. But you will, I guarantee it, at some point become embroiled in a complicated, confusing, ugly, gut wrenching moral dilemma that is just a fact of life on earth. There will be a dilemma in which there is no clear rule to follow. There is only a kind of vague investigation, and everything you do seems like it might be wrong. So how do you prepare for that? By reading theories of ethics and understanding what they say, what they mean, how they purport to help us make better decisions and become better people. And by the way, just reading these theories is no guarantee that you will actually make the right choice when you're inside one of these complicated, entangled ethical dilemmas. You can take all the practice half court shots you want at the ymca, but when you set foot on the floor of the NBA arena and there are 15,000 screaming fans, you're probably still going to throw up an airball, right? But if you've prepared, you will increase your odds of success. You will increase the chances that you sink the shot or that you at least get the ball close enough to the rim that you don't embarrass yourself and become a meme. Understanding ethical theories is how we increase our chances of success at simply being human beings who have to negotiate with other human beings. And to me, there is nothing more important than that. Thank you.