A brass balance scale tilted under a stack of gold coins against a single feather on the other pan.

Original artwork, not a still

Seth Davis

I had a very strong work ethic. The problem was my ethics in work.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A wordplay confession. The speaker had a strong work ethic, meaning diligence and drive, but the trouble was their ethics in work, meaning moral choices on the job. Swapping the word order turns a boast into an admission of doing questionable things.

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