At work I am often asked to write policy letters to cover every possible contingency of human behavior. These policy letters are reviewed by lawyers to ensure every lawsuit is avoided, operations officers look for the impetuous for action, the employees immediately look for a loop hole which, when found, prompts more policy letters. ENOUGH! You can’t write a standard operating procedure for common sense.
A recent presentation by Barry Swartz at the TED conference struck a cord with me. In it, Dr. Swartz describes practical wisdom as defined by Aristotle as the “combination of moral will and moral skill.”