What was the greatest evil yesterday is the greatest good today; while the good that is eternal is now politically incorrect.
How did it start? Where does it end?
Unfortunately, the changes that brought us to this current point in history have been moving us forward, working to make ours a more understanding, a more patient, a more loving society seem to be disappearing. For the last few decades, it seems like we've been moving backward toward chaos and carnage, not forward toward order and honorable peace.
Our society, our economy, our nation exhibits all the destructive character traits that are the hallmarks of every great society in its decline:
- Arrogance
- Pride
- Fear
- Greed
- Self indulgence
- Anger
I recognize that the seeds of these sins lie within the breast of each and every man, woman and child who ever did, does now, or ever will live on this plane of existence.
I also believe, however, that each man, woman and child can choose to set aside this nature and work to be better than his "natural destiny"; to move above and beyond his or her own petty pleasures and desires. We can aspire and strive to know God and love our fellow man. Humans, with God's help, can put others ahead of themselves. They can choose to do the right thing over the easy thing. We can choose sacrifice for the good of others over satisfying their own desires.
Fifty years ago, this was type of character that society held up as the ideal. Then, our ideals were people of substance; selfless men and women who sacrificed for the good of the world, the good of the nation, the good of their neighbors and family. The future they looked for, the future they strived for, was a future that would last well beyond their own lifetime. They felt a responsibility to care for future generations. To set, to strive to meet, to teach their children standards that were sometimes difficult to achieve, but that, by the mere striving toward, brought “Good” into the world.
Today, our ideal men and women (dare we call the “idols”?) are arrogant, the self-centered, greedy, violent and outrageous. for too many, short term gain rules over long-term good; Cash truly is king; and an individual is only as valuable as what they can take from them right now. “Getting mine” seems to be the greatest good.
We kill the defenseless and defend the contemptible. "Personal Choice" and “Quality of life” have become just another way of saying: “You're only valuable if I say you're valuable!”
And before my confessor writes a scathing indictment of my behavior; please understand that I'm not pointing the “I'm better than you” finger, here, either. I'm as guilty as anyone here. Maybe more so. I was raised better. I was taught Right from Wrong. I know better and yet I continue to choose “Wrong”. I've contributed my share to the decline of family values, the lowering of standards; the general malaise that is our society today.
So this call to remember the good we strived for; this call to change; this call to action is directed, first and foremost, at me. And I guess that's the point of my posting this here. I'm going start by changing the way I think, act and live. And maybe, just maybe, that will help repair the damage I've done to the fabric of our world.
By now, those of you who've waded through the rest of this post are probably wondering what this all has to do with business. Well, I'm a firm believer that without a solid moral / ethical foundation no human enterprise will last for long...especially a business.
We'll talk more later.
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