Doing the Right Thing... in an Often Sketchy World!

I expect most of us would like to believe that we are "good" people who do the right thing in life, no matter what situation we encounter.

I'm not talking about extremes here; not talking about some constant effort to sacrifice ourselves on the altars of selflessness and altruism. Just talking about our journeys through daily life.

It would seem like a pretty straightforward idea... and yet? People are often tripped up, for one reason or another.

For starters, the media around us seems filled with stories of people engaging in dubious behaviors, and they are actually getting away with it, and — on top of that — they seem to be enjoying a greater level of success than those of us who have chosen the path of integrity.

When we look deeper, it seems like pretty much everyone is somehow cheating, "just a little," in various areas of their lives... even if it's something as basic as fudging a little bit on their taxes, done on the assumption that they won't get caught.

Of course, there's no guarantee that they won't get caught.

It is amazing — and more than a little sad — how often we are openly "invited" to cheat in some way. Consider how often computer games are released, almost immediately followed by a plethora of people offering "cheat codes" that allow you to complete the various challenges without doing the work.

Small wonder there are those in the world who believe we are all "getting dumber." After all, if people cheat rather than figure out for themselves... what is happening to their problem solving skills?

I think what is bothering me here is this nagging feeling that if you choose to be completely honest and always do the right thing in all situations, it almost seems like you are putting yourself at a DIS-advantage.

Surely, can't we — as a species — do better than that?

Whereas the often sketchy behavior of the world is disappointing, it does not dissuade me from doing my best, without giving in and just declaring *"what's the point?"

After all, I have to be able to sleep at night, and live with myself.

Thanks for stopping by, and have agreat rest of your week!

How about you? Do you always do the right thing? Or do you feel tempted to jump over the fence, if you won't get caught? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2025.05.13 01:05 PDT
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