Midnight Confrontations

How early in life should one think about the morality of one's career choice — while embarking on one's career, or mid career, or after one has made enough money? Is it right to give up a cushy job or close down a running business on moral grounds when family or employees depend on them? What should get precedence — morality of the work that one is doing or one's responsibilities towards one's dependants ?

I am personally of the opinion that it is important to look beyond one's desk as further as possible to ensure that one's work does not have an undesirable social or environmental impact, even if that means sacrificing one's passion or financial stability. It is also necessary to continually apply ethical tests to one's practices, however noble the cause. For some reason the means to the end are as important as the end itself. At times you feel guilty of having applied moral tests to your work when you had made your money. Many a times we do do not believe that is the way to go.

The question that vexes me currently is how deep should we delve, if we must, while confronting our vocations with the tests of morality? Should one apply the test to the work done by the individual, or broaden its scope to the work of his or her organization, or further stretch it to the areas of application of the work by the customers of the organization or even beyond?

Answers - probably I am still seeking for.