Noble Character: An Ethic and Compass in Life and Business

Imagine returning to the end of the 18th century, to the year 1781, when a large merchant ship sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The ship, named Zong, was carrying 470 Africans who were to be enslaved and taken to Jamaica. During the voyage, the ship’s captain, Luke Collingwood, realised there was a serious problem after a navigational error meant the ship would have to sail far longer than scheduled. The deteriorating condition of the vessel and dwindling supplies of fresh water became an even greater problem with so many human passengers on board.

They were kept in extremely overcrowded and inhumane conditions, and during the journey hundreds of people fell ill, with 130 eventually dying. In the midst of this situation, human beings began to be treated not as people, but as economic assets. The hundreds who died were then thrown into the sea, an event that would later become known as the Zong Massacre.

What made the tragedy even more shocking to the conscience, however, was what followed: when the ship finally arrived in Jamaica, the ship’s owners sought to file an insurance claim for their loss, just as one would claim insurance for lost goods or cargo. In the legal proceedings that emerged in 1783, the matter was even treated as an insurance dispute over “cargo”, rather than as accountability for the loss of hundreds of human lives. And no one was ever prosecuted for the murder of the victims.

This incident became one of the cases that galvanised the movement to abolish the slave trade in Britain. It is here that the story of the Zong becomes highly relevant for reflection even today. How could hundreds of human beings be treated like goods?

The answer may be simple, yet at the same time horrifying: when self-interest and profit have defeated conscience.

When Human Beings Become Mere Numbers

The Zong tragedy cannot be separated from the slave trade system, which by the 18th century had become part of a major economic activity. Within that system, human beings were bought and sold, their value calculated, insured, and treated as part of business calculations. The problem was not merely the actions of one person or one ship. There was a fundamentally flawed way of thinking: when profit was considered more important than human dignity. People no longer saw the victims as human beings with a right to life. They became mere numbers in a calculation.

What was the value of the lost cargo? What losses were incurred? What compensation could be obtained?

Questions about profit became more dominant than the most fundamental question that should have been asked: “Is this action right?” This is the point at which noble conduct begins to disappear. A person may possess intelligence, power, knowledge, and even a highly organised work system. Yet without moral values and conscience, all of these can be used to justify wrongdoing.

The Zong tragedy is an extreme example of what can happen when people lose empathy and ethics. When others are viewed merely as tools to achieve an end, the boundary between “seeking profit” and “harming people” can become increasingly blurred. The incident helped open the public’s eyes and strengthened the movement against the slave trade. Activists such as Granville Sharp and Olaudah Equiano helped bring the case to public attention and made it a clear example of the cruelty of the slave trade.

From this we can draw a simple lesson: major problems often begin when people stop using their conscience in making decisions.

Noble Conduct as a Behavioural Compass

So what does a story from more than two centuries ago have to do with our lives today?

The answer lies in the way we make decisions. We may not live aboard the Zong. We work in offices, factories, projects, schools, or run businesses. Yet every day we are still faced with choices that test our values and ethics.

Will we be honest even when no one is watching? Do we have the courage to admit mistakes? Do we respect others, including those in lower positions? Will we rush to judge when we hear that someone in another department has made a mistake, without seeking clarification? Will we still choose the right path when the wrong one appears easier and more profitable?

This is where noble conduct becomes important. For the author, noble conduct is not merely a theory about how to be a good person. Noble conduct is the ability to use reason, conscience, and responsibility in a balanced way in life. In practice, noble behaviour often manifests through simple actions: speaking honestly, respecting others, keeping promises, not taking what belongs to others, taking responsibility for one’s work, and having the courage to choose what is right even when it is uncomfortable.

These values may sound simple. Yet it is precisely in simple situations that a person’s character is truly tested.

In Business, Targets Must Not Defeat Integrity

As someone who works in sales and business development in the engineering industry, the author understands that the business world is closely tied to targets. There are sales targets, profit targets, market growth targets, cost efficiency targets, and project completion targets. All of these are important because without good business results, a company will certainly struggle to survive and grow. However, there is one thing that must not be lost in the pursuit of targets: the manner in which those targets are achieved.

For example, a salesperson may make excessive promises to a customer in order to win a project. In the short term, the contract may be secured. But what if the company turns out to be unable to fulfil those promises?

The customer is disappointed. The project team comes under pressure. Costs rise. The company’s reputation declines.

Ultimately, short-term gains can turn into long-term losses. For this reason, noble conduct in business can begin with the courage to speak honestly. Having the courage to tell a customer that a specification cannot yet be confirmed. Not manipulating information. Not concealing risks. Not bringing down competitors with false information. And not making decisions that benefit oneself but harm the company or others.

In the engineering business, integrity becomes even more important because the decisions taken do not only concern money. Errors in information, specifications, or commitments can affect quality, cost, schedule, and even safety. The author therefore believes that a healthy business is not merely one that generates profit, but one that is able to earn and maintain trust. And trust is not built on words. Trust is built on behaviour.

Compliance and Ethics: Making Ethics a Culture

Of course, noble conduct cannot rely solely on the awareness of each individual. Companies also need to create an environment that encourages employees to always make the right decisions. This is where the role of Compliance and Ethics becomes crucial.

Compliance ensures that a company conducts its business in accordance with laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. Ethics, meanwhile, helps us navigate situations that are sometimes not spelled out in detail in a rule. Because in reality, not every problem can be answered simply by opening the SOP. There are situations when we must ask ourselves: “There may be no rule prohibiting it, but is it the right thing to do?”

Companies can encourage such behaviour through various programmes, such as Code of Conduct training, anti-bribery and conflict-of-interest policies, business ethics socialisation, whistleblowing mechanisms, and concrete examples set by company leaders. But the most important thing is consistency. There is no point in a company talking about integrity if those who violate ethics are still rewarded simply because they achieved their targets.

An ethical culture must start from the top and be practised together. A leader must set an example. A manager must have the courage to make the right decision. And every employee must understand that success is judged not only by what is achieved, but also by how it is achieved.

Becoming a Better Human Being, Every Day

The story of the Zong reminds us of the danger when people lose their sense of humanity and make profit their sole objective. A business system may appear successful on paper, but it loses its meaning when it is built by sacrificing fundamental values.

Fortunately, history also teaches that change can occur when there are people who dare to use their conscience, question injustice, and choose to do the right thing. That is the spirit the author believes we must continue to uphold in life and business.

Noble conduct does not always mean doing something grand or heroic. Sometimes, noble conduct appears in small decisions: remaining honest when writing a report, respecting colleagues, not abusing one’s position, not passing judgement before the authorities have made a decision, keeping promises to customers, and having the courage to speak the truth when seeing something wrong. In an era that is increasingly fast-paced and competitive, we may be ever busier chasing targets, positions, profits, and success. But let us not lose our compass along the way. Because in the end, success is not only about how high we reach our goals, but also about what values we hold on to as we journey towards them.

Times may change, technology may advance, and business may become ever more competitive. Yet noble conduct must remain our compass, so that we become not only successful people, but also people who are worthy of trust and who bring goodness to others. Noble conduct is not an outdated value abandoned by the times. Precisely in an increasingly complex era, noble conduct is the compass that ensures we do not lose our way on the journey towards success.