About

Take5 Mason has been created to help inspire students, faculty and staff at George Mason University to infuse the ideas of ethics into our daily lives and leadership. Better understanding ethics can free us up to be the people we truly want to be. Ethics is for ALL of us and addresses the question: “How should we live our lives?”

There are many misconceptions about ethics, including the idea that it’s just blindly following rules or that it’s only helpful for huge life and death issues like capital punishment or abortion. Here’s a quick example that you may not typically think of when considering ethics: telling a kind joke that makes someone laugh can be very ethical. You may be trying to comfort someone during a stressful time and the joke eases their stress.

To “Take5” basically means to pause in order to be aware of our thoughts, feelings and actions. We believe that by taking 5 to consider the ethical components of our everyday decisions we will be more likely to fulfill the main goal of George Mason University… to be a university for the world.

 

This site is based on the WeTake5.com site.  Information about WeTake5.com is listed below…

Take5 to Consider Ethics
WeTake5.com provides free, helpful and entertaining resources to encourage everyone to pause and “Take 5” to consider the ethical components of their decisions. We believe that learning about ethics can be both fun and incredibly beneficial.

WeTake5.com Vision
Everyday Ethics for Everyone

  • WeTake5 envisions a world where we all have access to good, helpful resources to develop our ethical knowledge, attitudes and skills.
  • A world where the great wisdom of thousands of years of moral philosophy, as well as recent research from fields like psychology and behavioral ethics, is made accessible to all.
  • A world where we pause and “Take 5” to ask the questions that can help us to create positive changes for all.

Knowledge (Head)
WeTake5 seeks knowledge about…

  • our character and what kind of people we are and what kind of people we become
  • good codes and guidelines to follow, seeking to protect rights and not use others
  • the consequences of our actions, not just our intent
  • caring for others and treating them as we/they want to be treated
  • how best to consult to see diverse perspectives and avoid harmful biases

Attitudes (Heart)
WeTake5 cares about…

  • our character and what kind of people we are and what kind of people we become
  • the codes and guidelines we follow, seeking to protect rights and not use others
  • the consequences of our actions, not just our intent
  • caring for others and treating them as we/they want to be treated
  • consulting with those who can help us see diverse perspectives and avoid harmful biases

Skills (Hands & Feet)
WeTake5 strives to be able to…

  • develop our character and what kind of people we are and what kind of people we become
  • create good codes and guidelines to follow, seeking to protect rights and not use others
  • act in a way that results in good consequences
  • care for others by treating them as we/they want to be treated
  • consult with those who can help us see diverse perspectives and avoid harmful biases

Used with permission from WeTake5.com