hi, have you met me?

I think you hit the issue on the head. This is exactly how I see Teyla and her role on the team/show. She is their moral compass. I'm glad you brought up the Hoffans in Poisoning the Well. I thought that the way the team came down on them was really harsh and more than a bit self-righteous. They were incapable of understanding why anyone would choose the option they did. In the episode I thought that Perna did a fantastic job of representing the Pegasus mindset. That everyone who has lived under the threat of the wraith is willing to do whatever it takes to save their people. They are all willing to give their lives for the future. I was surprised that Teyla wasn't more understanding of this in the episode. she was as judgemental as the Atlanteans. Letters from Pegasus (indeed one of the best eps EVER) and Trinity very much embody what Teyla represents and believes in. Esp. in Trinity when she and Ronon come to their "understanding" and we see what the "code" of west (re: pegasus galaxy) is.