"If ethics were easy, everyone would be a saint. The real test of character is whether you do the right thing even when it costs more than you want to pay." -- Michael Josephson

I have been using this quotation in my signature line in my emails recently and I've received quite a few responses to it. Some people have said that sometimes the price was too high, as when it involved sacrificing any chance at promotion in exchange for a grievance involving, at least in one case, a disputed seniority list.

Another person pointed out that the price was too high when he was told he would never be promoted because he spoke out in a meeting giving an opinion about revised work rules. The high-level person was quite open and frank in saying that while she remained in her position as a manager, that employee who had spoken up would never be promoted.

Other people said to me that yes, there had been a high price to pay, but weighed against their personal integrity and honesty, the action had to be done, the words had to be said and no cost is too high when you have to do the right thing or when you must set right what has been wrong.

Yes, sometimes it costs more than you want to pay, especially when the cost affects not only you but your loved ones as well.

There are no easy answers.