If there is one thing I’ve come to learn all through my time on earth, it’s the fact that sometimes, being good could be the very thing that stops us from getting the kind of things that “bad” people get. Now, I’m not talking about the proceeds that come from being bad or evil, no good person will ever aspire to that.
However, there are some things that any sane person would want from those around him or her but due to their good nature, they would find it eluding them. While people they know they’re doing way better than are enjoying it all. Let me explain…
You see, one thing every parent prays for is to have a good child that would be responsible and dependable. The child who rarely cries and stays where their mother puts them. They’re smart and know how to avoid danger, making the parents not be scared whenever they’re somewhere else. Such a child being so dependable, might end up not having to spend much time with their parents, especially if they have a sibling who is troublesome and always getting into one form of tight spot or the other.
You’ll find that the troublesome kid would be the one commanding all the parents' time and worry simply because they’re trying to stop them from getting into yet another problem. Almost everything in the house would be because of this kid, and meanwhile, the good one would simply be going by. They want the attention as well, but it’s all going to their wayward sibling. The parents know just how dependable the good kid is so they simply assume that they’re fine and focus more energy on the wayward one.
This might not just be for wayward siblings; it could be anything at all. For parents, having good kids gives peace of mind. Knowing that you can tell your child not to do something and they’ll follow the instructions to the letter is always refreshing. But then, does that not make us a bit lax? Maybe because we know that they’re good, we’re willing to trust them with more leeway.
Sometimes, you hear of kids who were so good in the past turning into troublesome youths, could it just be a cry for help? Maybe they’re tired of being capable and they want to spend time with their parents once again. Especially when they see that only trouble will make the parents spend time with them.
What about at work? You could be the sweet employer that everyone loves. You do your best to make sure that you treat your workers nicely, give them fat benefits, and allow them to take regular sick leave. You’re simply an awesome boss. But then, this doesn’t translate into efficiency. Because some of these same people you’re good to would either be delaying on deadlines, slacking on the job, or just feeling too relaxed in a way that would affect your business. You tried to make them feel like family, but they took it literally and made themselves at home.
Meanwhile, another boss elsewhere is being mean to his employees. He works them like slaves and pays them stipends. Yet, they work efficiently. Everyone delivers on time because they’re scared of getting fired or being fined for missing a deadline. This mean boss is getting all the results the good boss would like despite him treating them all nice and comfy.
So, how do we find the balance? You can’t be mean to your employees simply because you want some efficiency. But then, you still need to instill a level of discipline, or else they’ll keep taking you for granted. You can be a good boss and still be firm in your dealings. But this requires a balance because if care is not taken, you could fall on either side of the line and that would just not be good.
So, what am I saying? Just because bad people seem to be getting the things that good people want, it’s never a reason to stop working for them. We see people committing crimes and doing all sorts of unethical things just to get what they want, but we stick to our principles. We know what we want and we refuse to be swayed. It may seem like a foolish decision at the time, but our time in the sun will definitely come around.
If you’ve come this far, I hope this post makes sense to you. It just crossed my mind today and I decided to share it.
