That’s a good point. I picked the word “oath” intuitively, and I can try to articulate why.
First, “policy” feels more detached and state-ish than I wanted. I wanted a word that conveyed some emotional depth and a spark of human connection.
Also, “policy” has the implication of being explicit in its details, like a law. By contrast, an oath is about building credibility without being specific about what actions to take. Here’s a sample from the Hippocratic Oath:
“I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.”
Policies can also have statements like that occasionally, but they are also often extremely detailed and voluminous:
“Employees accrue 2.15 hours of emergency personal time per pay period. On an annual basis, this is the equivalent of 56 hours. Employees may use emergency personal time up to 56 hours.”
But if you want to call yours a policy, more power to you!
That’s a good point. I picked the word “oath” intuitively, and I can try to articulate why.
First, “policy” feels more detached and state-ish than I wanted. I wanted a word that conveyed some emotional depth and a spark of human connection.
Also, “policy” has the implication of being explicit in its details, like a law. By contrast, an oath is about building credibility without being specific about what actions to take. Here’s a sample from the Hippocratic Oath:
“I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant: I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.”
Policies can also have statements like that occasionally, but they are also often extremely detailed and voluminous:
“Employees accrue 2.15 hours of emergency personal time per pay period. On an annual basis, this is the equivalent of 56 hours. Employees may use emergency personal time up to 56 hours.”
But if you want to call yours a policy, more power to you!