Last evening, in conversation with a friend, the topic of corruption in the society came up. He was of the opinion that corruption has become deeply embedded in our society and now there is nothing that can be done about it.
He painted a really dreadful picture, and for one moment I agreed with him. But then I thought about it and realised that though I hear about corruption everywhere, yet I have never ever seen it in real life. Thinking about it some more, I felt that for some reason we look at things in a way, which makes them appear worse than they actually are.
Then, we tell ourselves that things are so bad that one person can not make a difference. And thus we give ourselves some latitude to do wrong; not some great wrong, but a little lie here, and a little one there.
So, it would be better if we were to assume that things are not really all that bad, but good, and getting better every day. And that every little good we do counts towards making it better.
I said all this, and more, but my friend would not be convinced. We argued about it for some time but in the end decided to call a truce with none of the sides aggreeing with the other. If you were there, what side would you take?
January 10, 2008
Which side would you take?
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2 comments:
As I watch the primaries unfold here in the US and feel inclined to believe that ordinary, decent people who vote can make a difference, I find myself sharing your perspective on this one.
Can't disagree more. Have you ever tried drawing to an inside straight? It doesn't take much surface digging to discover that an honest man is fighting against a stacked deck.
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