“We Will Be Young” and the Question of How We Choose to Act
In Maxim Leo’s novel „Ich werde jung sein“ (transl.: We Will Be Young), I came across a passage on page 211 that captures the foundation of ethical action more precisely than many textbooks manage to do.
“The basis of moral thinking has always been to consider the well‑being of others, to put oneself in the position of someone who does not share my opinion or who might suffer disadvantages from my actions.”
This idea, the role reversal as the core of moral judgment, is central to my teaching in Business Ethics and Sustainability. It is a guiding principle. My favorite expression for it: Change of perspectives.
Leo refers to the Sermon on the Mount, to Buddha, and to Kant’s categorical imperative. Not all of these sources appear in my course, but the imperative certainly does. And so does the sharpened version by German cabaret artist Dieter Hildebrand, which we encounter all too often in everyday life:
„Der Mensch ist Mittelpunkt. Ja, das hätten Sie gern. Der Mensch ist Mittel. Punkt.“
(translated meaning: The human being is the center. Yes, you would like that. The human being is a means. Full stop.)
This bitter punchline reveals how easily economic or political action can turn people into resources, into means to an end.
That I would find such a clear formulation of ethical principles in a novel was not something I expected. „Wir werden jung sein“ tells the story of an experimental rejuvenation pill that not only saves the lives of four terminally ill people but makes them biologically younger.
What begins as a medical miracle quickly unfolds into a web of personal hopes, societal tensions, and global justice issues.
We live in a time in which technological developments advance faster than our moral orientation. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, global inequality, climate crisis. All of this demands a capacity we cannot delegate: perspective‑taking as a moral stance.
I read Maxim Leo’s novel as a thought experiment that forces us to ask ourselves: What would I do? And what would my decision mean for others?
That I found such a concise expression of what I teach in my course within a work of fiction surprised me. Ethics emerges in stories, in encounters, in decisions. It emerges wherever we dare to shift our perspective.
And here is my question to you: What competencies do we need in order to act ethically in a rapidly accelerating world?
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I am Bernd Scharbert and I teach Business Ethics and Sustainability at Albstadt‑Sigmaringen University within the Faculty of Business Science and Management.
In my advisory work, I support leaders in applying intercultural principles in their daily practice. You are also welcome to explore my book Prepare for Landing: Leitlinien für interkulturelle Führung, published by Barbara Budrich and available wherever books are sold in Germany.
