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Our ethical conduct is a reflection of our values—our most enduring judgments or standards of what’s good and bad in life, of what’s important to us. Like the individuals who hold them, values can conflict and clash. The more diverse the society, the greater these conflicts tend to be. One only has to think of the so-called values divide in the United States between “red states” (representing conservative values) and “blue states” (representing liberal values).
Conflicting values make it difficult to speak about certain topics without challenging cherished beliefs. The United States is a country of immigrants, for example, but half of the population with only a high school education believe that immigrants threaten traditional U.S. values, while only a quarter of college-educated Americans agree.3 As you prepare speeches on controversial topics, anticipate that audience members will hold a range of values that will differ not only from your own, but from each other’s. Demonstrate respect for your audience’s values, even when you do not share them. (See Chapter 6 on identifying audience members’ values.)