Page 4 - Alumni Horae: Vol. 93, No. 2 Winter 2013

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The Making of a Moral Code
“Although you may
make many deals, you
sell yourself only once.
And there’s no buying
it back.”
In Brett Forrest’s
essay in this issue of
Alumni Horae, the
1991 alumnus and
now international
journalist writes compellingly about the ethical
challenges he faces in cultures where the stan-
dards of morality and ethics can shift according
to the exigencies of the moment – where bribery
is endemic, where the procedures of due process
can amount to a sudden and violent visit by the
police, where residents may “live by a moral
code that differs from your own, or by no moral
code at all.”
Brett’s is a career made to challenge core beliefs
– to bend them, probably to a slight angle at first,
but the angle can widen with acceptance or ap-
proval until you’re really not sure where you first
drew that line.
“It is not enough,” Brett writes, “to be able to
identify the right thing to do. You must have the
strength also to do it. St. Paul’s gave me the capa-
city for both.”
In a recent talk to a group of parents, I recalled my
“career” as a faculty advocate enlisted by St. Paul’s
students appearing before the Disciplinary Com-
mittee. Although my record for acquittals was
actually no better than that of any other faculty
member, I seem to have been a popular choice for
this role. Over those years, it gradually occurred
to me that the kids whose character I was defend-
ing were, in fact, virtually all good kids, who knew
when they faltered morally or in matters concern-
ing personal integrity. What they had more
trouble understanding was why they stumbled
in these realms – and how to catch themselves
when they were about to stumble.
Neuroscience offers a compelling explanation
for why this is so – the underdeveloped frontal
cortex in adolescents more often than not loses
its battle to moderate boundary-testing and
risk-taking behaviors. With the development of
that part of the brain, however, comes maturity
and the understanding of consequences. But
Brett offers another, less physiologically based,
explanation for doing the right thing: an environ-
ment in which healthy relationships with adults
shape and propel this development – and where
the greater the number of these relationships, in
the greatest diversity of contexts, is a rich and
durable grounding for moral development.
In his title, “Don’t falter. Don’t judge,” and
throughout his essay, Brett refuses to set himself
up as a moralist. He doesn’t weigh the choices of
others against his own sense of rightness; in fact,
the descriptions of his meetings with remarkable
men – and they are mostly men – are devoid of
judgment. And that is as much a part of his theme
as personal integrity and a key aspect of the
character that guides him.
“I can’t always do the right thing. Who does?”
Brett writes. His internal compass may not
always point straight to true north; the needle
can waver. Meanwhile, try to do right, without
self-righteousness, and the learning will continue.
Brett credits no single person or event at
St. Paul’s, no blinding moment on the road to
Damascus, to set him aright. The source seems
to have been more a quality of the water or the
air in Millville – “something else, all of it together,
the lesson in kindness, that though we compete,
we may still have empathy for one another.”
It is a joy to see so well expressed the promise
we hold – to provide the best possible environ-
ment for the intellectual and moral growth of our
students. Many thanks to Brett, and the deepest
wish for safe journeys ahead.
Michael G. Hirschfeld ’85
RECTOR
JEFFREY SCHIFMAN