Ideals Influence People's Behavior

The Significance of Ethics

Ideals are immensely influential to a person’s behavior -- whether it be in a positive or negative manner. When people have strong core beliefs and values about any subject in particular, they account it into their everyday lives. Ideals, including religion, have specific morals and values which people choose to follow. These values shape who they are because of the beliefs within the religion that are being taught. The influence of people’s ideals shapes their behaviour as a person. The passion an individual has for their values exposes their true self and what they ultimately believe in. In the short story “Paul’s Case”, Willa Cather demonstrates how different ideals can influence people’s behavior. In the story, …show more content…
Paul continuously carries out deceitful behaviour to escape his current circumstance. When first meeting Paul, he arrives at his school in formal attire while being suspended. His principal questions why he is there and Paul states politely enough that, “he wanted to come back to school. This was a lie, but Paul was accustomed to lying; found it, indeed, indispensable for overcoming friction” (171). Following up to Paul’s dishonesty towards the faculty at school, he also decides to lie to the audience during his job at Carnegie Hall about his “acquaintance with the soloists who came to Carnegie Hall” (179). Paul fabricates an even bigger lie and tells the audience that “he was going to travel for awhile; going to Naples, to California, to Egypt (179). Paul’s dishonesty towards the audience proves that he is unable to tell the truth despite being in a happy setting. His ideals force him to believe that the life he is portraying to the audience is the only way to be content in life. Paul’s lies continue to gradually build up and only hurt him more than anyone else in the process. Because Paul ideally wants to be of the upper class, he becomes so deceitful that he deceives himself. He continues to fool himself that he is a part of the upper class and wealthy that only needs to “glance down at his dress coat to reassure …show more content…
He aspires to be of those who are wealthy and live lavish, and despises anything of the ordinary from the middle class. The concept of admiring anyone of his social class is not an option for Paul. After a period of time filled with self hatred, Paul continuosly does his best to escape his reality by working at Carnegie Hall and the stock theatre. However, unable to deal with his present, he runs away to New York. No longer having any will to live his life the way it is currently, he commits suicide by jumping in front of a train. The value an individual puts on an ideal they have can influence their behaviour excessively, depending on the belief itself. If a person has an ideal, it would not make sense to not abide and want to live by it. Therefore, an ideal defines a person; because of the significance they display. However, if an individual puts too much emphasis on to their ideal, it can potentially ruin their life. By constantly having the need to meet a certain standard, many people may not always be able to achieve it; depending on the situation. People become absorbed into their ideal to the point where they are not able to empathize with others if they do not have the same view point. The importance an individual places on a ideal has the ability to shape who they are, and what they can