"Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left" ~Hubert Humphrey
There are times in life when your integrity is at stake, your dreams of tomorrow that may seem shattered, or a piece of you that was hurt to the point of tears and heartbreak. We are all human, we will cause heartbreak, as well as experience it.
My question is what is the cost of your integrity? A friendship, a climb up a shared hierarchy? Your religious ethics? How far would you go to end the path of a trusted comradeship, which was invested in for years?
Sycophant: A mean-spirited brown-nosing social climber who would not hesitate to step on those who helped brings them to the top.
Brown-Noser: One who is excessively eager to please another in order to win favor or personal gain.
"The hedonic-treadmill theory says every time you achieve a goal, you set your sights on the next one, if your main goal is high status, you won't enjoy it once you're there.” (Art Markman, a University of Texas psychologist) Ladder climbing, winning favor, by stepping on people to get status, can be a case of low self-esteem, or be motivated by increasing merit.
I hesitate to use the word backstabber here, instead use the words morally wrong – unethical, flexible morals, seeing what is wrong and right as they see fit, when it suits them.
Can a person hold their head up high, as they take credit for work they no longer do, or look a person in the face and lie, set them on a path that ruins their credibility? Personality type Machiavellian typically categorized as "High Mach".
Social climbers suck up because, it often works. Status in any group is based on two key things: what you can bring to the table and how much you are willing to self-sacrifice. Interesting thought and a scary practice if you are on the side of the target.
There is an upside, although a person’s integrity may be at stake, if that person knows in their heart they did the right thing, they can walk with their head held high. A heart may have been broken, a friendship may have been dissolved, and a character may have been tarnished, but what is right is right. There is no black and white, owning up to a mistake is hard, but admitting to lie you did not commit is going against values that are strongly believed in.
A door is opened; new opportunities arise, and a new life begins. Although it is scary, God has a plan for everyone. Moving forward to grow and prosper, and not hold back is the only option for the future.
There will always be that person who has the “flexible morals” and will sacrifice their integrity to gain their needs over others. Eventually that strong yearning to be liked and admired, will fade, people will see that person for who they are.
On a personal note, I believe the truth will set you free, my parents have always taught me that, it may be a challenging path along the way, but will lead to happiness, and my values will be with me always.
“Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power” ~ Blaine Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment