Test Case: Work Promotion vs. Family Life Dilemma

Test Case: Work Promotion vs. Family Life Dilemma

Apply the Oak Lawn ethical system to the following dilemma:

 "I'm torn between taking a promotion that requires 70-hour weeks (advancing my career) versus staying in my current role to spend time with my young children. My gut tells me family comes first, but I also feel I'd be letting down my team and missing a crucial opportunity. What should I do?"

Claude:

I'll apply the Oak Lawn ethical system v2.0 to this work-promotion dilemma using the systematic 7-step implementation framework.

## **ESSENTIAL OPENING STATEMENT**

*"This analysis operates from the Oak Lawn systematic ethical framework v2.0 - a mathematically rigorous system based on Sterling's. Core Stoicism 29 theorems proving complete happiness through virtue, implemented through error-corrected practical protocols for systematic character development and multi-aim flourishing."*

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## **STEP 1: RAPID ERROR DETECTION**

**30-second diagnostic check:**

- ❌ **False either/or detected**: "Career advancement OR family time" - this violates multi-aim pursuit default

- ✅ **Emotion traced**: Anxiety stems from treating career success as necessary for wellbeing (false value judgment)

- ✅ **Focus confirmed**: This is about virtue development, not outcome optimization

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## **STEP 2: PRECISION CATEGORIZATION**

**Using Oak Lawn's Four Categories:**

**VIRTUE (The Only Good):**

- Wisdom in assessing what role/schedule serves character development

- Justice toward family, team, and personal responsibilities

- Courage to make principled decisions despite external pressures

- Temperance in balancing multiple appropriate aims

**PREFERRED INDIFFERENTS (Appropriate Aims):**

- Career advancement and professional growth

- Quality family relationships and presence with children

- Team support and workplace contributions

- Financial security and long-term planning

**EXTERNALS (Multi-Aim Pursuit Only):**

- Whether you get the promotion

- Team reactions to your decision

- Long-term career trajectory outcomes

- Children's future achievements or struggles

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## **STEP 3: CONTROL ANALYSIS WITH BINARY PRECISION**

**Controlled (100% guaranteed through choice):**

- Your reasoning process about the decision

- How thoroughly you explore creative alternatives

- The virtue you bring to whatever role you choose

- Your commitment to excellence in chosen priorities

- How you communicate with family and team

**External (Outcome indifferent):**

- Whether alternative arrangements are approved

- Team's long-term performance without you in promotion

- Children's happiness or development outcomes

- Future career opportunities that may arise

- Economic conditions affecting job security

**Precision Test Applied:** "Can I guarantee this through choice alone, right now?" 

- Career success: NO (external factors, market conditions, company decisions)

- Virtue in approach: YES (completely controlled)

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## **STEP 4: SYSTEMATIC EMOTION REGULATION**

**Anxiety Trace:** "I need this career advancement for my wellbeing/identity"

**Correction:** Career advancement is preferred indifferent - appropriate to pursue through virtue, but irrelevant to wellbeing

**Guilt Trace:** "I'm letting down my team by not taking promotion"

**Correction:** Others' reactions are external; my virtue response (honest communication, excellent transition) is controlled

**Fear Trace:** "Missing this opportunity threatens my future security"

**Correction:** Future outcomes are external; current virtue practice in decision-making is controlled

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## **STEP 5: MULTI-AIM CREATIVE SOLUTION GENERATION**

**Rejecting Either/Or Framework - Generate 5+ Multi-Aim Approaches:**

1. **Negotiated Hybrid Role:** Propose taking promotion with modified schedule (50-55 hours) and remote work options, demonstrating both career commitment and family prioritization

2. **Phased Implementation:** Accept promotion with 6-month trial period and clear family-time boundaries, with option to step back if unsustainable

3. **Team Leadership Development:** Decline promotion while proposing to mentor/develop team members for advancement, serving career growth AND team support simultaneously

4. **Consultant/Advisory Role:** Propose part-time senior advisory position that uses your expertise without full-time commitment

5. **Future-Focused Planning:** Stay in current role while developing specific timeline and family agreements for future advancement when children are older

6. **Resource Combination:** Partner with spouse/family support systems to make promotion workable while maintaining meaningful family presence

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## **STEP 6: PRECISION VIRTUE APPLICATION**

**Wisdom:** Reality assessment shows both career and family are appropriate aims requiring creative integration, not binary choice. What does actual situation require for long-term character development?

**Justice:** Honor legitimate claims of all parties - family needs presence, team needs leadership, personal development needs challenge. How to serve all appropriately?

**Courage:** Act on principles despite fear of external consequences (career limitation OR family guilt). What choice serves virtue regardless of outcomes?

**Temperance:** Balance multiple aims without treating career success OR family harmony as ultimate goods. Both are preferred indifferents to pursue excellently.

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## **STEP 7: IMPLEMENTATION WITH IMMEDIATE ACTION PROTOCOL**

**Next Physical Action (This Week):**

Schedule family meeting to discuss creative promotion scenarios and household logistics planning.

**Success Criteria:**

Decision made through excellent reasoning considering all stakeholders, with complete outcome indifference about external reactions.

**Obstacle Anticipation:**

Company may reject negotiated alternatives; family may pressure for immediate choice; anxiety about "missing opportunity" may resurface.

**Correction Mechanism:**

Weekly virtue review - am I approaching this with wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance, or reverting to either/or thinking?

**Outcome Indifference Practice:**

Mentally accept both scenarios: career advancement with family adjustments AND current role with continued family focus. Wellbeing depends only on virtue in chosen path.

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## **RECOMMENDED DECISION APPROACH**

Based on Oak Lawn systematic analysis: **Pursue multi-aim creative solution #1 or #2** - negotiate modified promotion terms that serve both career development and family presence as appropriate aims through virtue.

If company rejects creative alternatives: **Accept current role with complete peace**, knowing the decision serves virtue regardless of external career outcomes.

**Bottom Line:** Your wellbeing depends only on virtue in your approach, not on external outcomes of career advancement or family satisfaction. Both are appropriate aims to pursue excellently through wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance.