Do We Really Need Another Ethical Principle?

I once hiked a section of the Pacific Crest Trail covered in three feet of snow. It was, to put it mildly, a slog. I also wasn’t wearing the right shoes for it, but that’s a story for another time.

Along the way, I had sporadic encounters with hikers coming from the other direction. Our brief conversations in passing went something like this:

“How’s the snow that way, still pretty bad?”
“Yep, pretty bad. That way too?”
“Yep. Well, good luck!”
“Thanks, you too!”

Although I never exchanged more than a few sentences with anyone before we trudged on our separate ways, there was always a sense of camaraderie with those other backpackers, a feeling of we’re all in this together, fellow humans out here in the wild. It was slow, hard going, but those interactions with other people crazy enough to be doing the same thing provided some bright spots amidst the drudgery.

Shockingly, snow is hard to hike in

Small Ripples, Big Impact

Leaving a clean wake isn’t just about the big things. It’s also about the little moments in between, the small ripples we create in the world—sometimes without even realizing it. Something as simple as a friendly interaction in passing can introduce just a little bit more positivity into the world.

Those small moments on the trail stuck with me—not because they were profound, but because they were effortless. It made me wonder: how many other small ripples do we leave behind, unnoticed? If every interaction has the potential to create a wake, then what guides us in shaping it? That’s where ethical principles come in.

How Does Leaving a Clean Wake Compare to Other Ethics?

Little Vienna recited the Girl Scout Law on many occasions

But how is Leaving a Clean Wake different from the countless other ethical principles out in the world? We already have the Golden Rule, Leave No Trace, the Girl Scout Law, and so many other ways to think about how we interact with the world and how to do it well.

So do we really need another one? I believe we do. Let me explain.

Leaving a Clean Wake as an Adaptive Ethical Framework

Think of Leaving a Clean Wake like a software API—you input a given context and it outputs a relevant guiding principle. In some cases, it doesn’t just supply an existing ethical framework—it can actually give rise to one.

For example, someone in a wilderness setting, unfamiliar with Leave No Trace, might reflect on Leaving a Clean Wake and instinctively realize that carving their initials into a tree permanently scars an otherwise pristine environment—and, hopefully, conclude that they shouldn’t do it! That same person might also realize that if they pack in their food and gear, they should pack out any resulting trash as well—independently arriving at the well-known principle of Pack it in, pack it out. In that moment, Leaving a Clean Wake has led them to an ethical understanding they may not have reached otherwise.

In other contexts, Leaving a Clean Wake aligns with existing principles: in a personal interaction, it embodies The Golden Rule; in a service setting, it upholds The Girl Scout Law.

But Leaving a Clean Wake doesn’t just shape new ethical insights or refine familiar ones—it can also, at times, negate its own literal interpretation. After all, sometimes the best way to leave a clean wake… is to try to leave no wake at all!

Thinking Beyond the Golden Rule and Leave No Trace

If you are in Wag Bag territory, pack. Out. Your. Wag Bags. Come on, people

Let’s return to the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (or countless other phrasings expressing the same general concept). The focus is on direct, person-to-person interactions. Being mindful of one’s presence and impact in such situations is important, of course, but Leaving a Clean Wake invites us to think bigger. As our wake spreads outward, it may touch things well beyond what we can see in the moment.

Similarly, Leave No Trace is a powerful and necessary framework for outdoor ethics—it teaches us to move through wild places with care, minimizing the impact we leave behind. But what about the rest of life? Most of us don’t just want to disappear without a trace—we want to leave some kind of mark—the trick is making sure the mark we leave is a good one.

(That’s why carving one’s initials onto a picnic table, or worse, a tree, runs afoul of both Leave No Trace and Leaving a Clean Wake.) Leaving a Clean Wake extends the principle of conscious impact beyond wilderness settings and into everyday life, recognizing that while we can’t erase our passage, we can shape the kind of wake we leave.

Scaling Up: From Individuals to Systems

Leaving a Clean Wake acknowledges that you will leave a mark on the people and places you encounter as you move through the world. The goal isn’t erasure, but ensuring that the mark you leave behind is positive, not harmful.

In addition to applying to a wide range of contexts, the idea of Leaving a Clean Wake can scale from individual actions—like being mindful of how we treat others—to larger systems, such as supporting policies that create cleaner environmental and social wakes. Imagine a whole city or even a country united around a shared goal to leave a clean wake. Think what could be accomplished at such a scale.

Not Every Wake Has to Be Big

Not every wake needs to be large and dramatic. Sometimes, it can be as simple as holding space for another person.

Maybe it’s letting someone merge in traffic, or stopping to let a pedestrian cross the road. Maybe it’s returning your shopping cart instead of leaving it in the parking lot. Maybe it’s sharing information with a fellow hiker, even though each of you already knows what the other is going to say about the snowy trail ahead.

Big or small, our presence in the world leaves an imprint.

So why not make it a good one?

Like people, some boats leave big wakes and others leave small wakes

Looking Ahead

This is just the start of a series of deeper dives into how Leaving a Clean Wake aligns with, builds on, and contrasts with other “be a good person” principles. In future posts, we’ll explore:

• The history and origins of various ethical mantras.

• How they’re used, who applies them, and why they endure.

• How they interact with Leaving a Clean Wake.

For now, I’d love to hear your thoughts! What ethical principles resonate with you? How do you see Leaving a Clean Wake fitting in? Let us know in the comments!