With all the corruption in the news -- Ted Stevens, Blagojevich, Seimens, Madoff, some other ponzi schemer that could hardly make the news because of Madoff's enormity, the cocaine trafficker who got a presidential pardon, to name a couple of current ones (and God knows how many others will never be caught) -- I feel like a bit of a sucker for just doing my job and collecting my paycheck. Many rich and/or powerful people are enriching and aggrandizing themselves at my expense with their connections. Even petty officials in third world countries are getting something for nothing, and here I am without so much as a tip jar on my desk. Is there really a benefit to honest dealing?
The question you pose is skewed. I think it far more prudent to ask: "Am I content?" as opposed to: "How come someone else has more?" Frankly, I think falling victim to the ideology prevalent in the second question is far more indicative of "suckerage".
Your thread topic is the basis for a lot of game theory, don'tcha know. As for petty officials in the third world... if we're still to use that terminology, we have to take a sobering look in the mirror. Look at our poverty rates, our education system, our healthcare system, our students' scores on tests versus those in other countries... I think in the 1980's we started a rapid approach to having the infrastructure and economic caste system that is more prevalent in the developing world.
The root of evil is money. Once you start getting being rich and your desire to have more money grows...it's just GREED.
What's the asking price for looking at yourself with respect in the mirror? Other people have boatloads of money, but it's not guaranteed that their lives are magnitudes better. Nor is it certain that you would act differently or better with all that money.
Sometimes I feel the same way. You're either a user or being used. Conscience isn't an issue as its simple enough to suppress that quickly with justification. The part that I can't get over is me looking over my back hoping it doesn't catch up with me years later. Before I make a potential bad decision, whether its speed, or lying or something worse than that, I ask myself if I could live with the consequences if I get caught.
it's beyond greed at this point. it's almost like you're an idiot if you don't take it, 'cause it's "right there". human beings have no sense of equity.
The working man is a sucker. ahh, that's the second day in a row I quote Sonny from bronx tale. Sorry, but it's been airing on showtime all week. =( I can't help it.
I thought the saying was "the love of money" is the root of all evil? Money in of itself isn't evil, it's how you aquire it and how you use it once you have it that tends to become the problem.
I don't even want to the play the politics to move up the company ladder. I don't see how I could do what these guys do.
Here's the thing. Look at the people you mentioned. They've all been busted. The act itself may or may not cause you enough guilt to outweigh whatever gain you would get from being a crook. It might, but maybe not. But would surely be hard, would be lying to everyone around you, not being able to have people that you could be yourself, and always being on guard could be a real problem. That is especially true when others around you are care free and can do things, talk about their life, and live in ways that you can not, if you don't want to get caught. Those wouldn't be once in a while issues, you would have to keep it up all the time. Furthermore, if you slipped up and accidentally spoke too openly you would have a panic attack while you figured out a way to cover Even with all of that, you might still get caught and ruin your life completely. Sometimes doing what's right, and not have to deal with the hassle is worthwhile.
I'm quite content with my life (and especially content with my decision not to go to law school... those guys work like dogs and I love my family too much.) And, I think that eventually you get what's coming to you. Doesn't always seem to work out that way, but if you see some of these types up close, you quickly realize they are hiding more from themselves than everyone else. That's a miserable existence. All that said, if you voted for compassionate conservatism or Nader, you're a huge sucker.
The thing I don't get about Madoff and people like him is they would no doubt be wealthy without the lies and corruption. Isn't it better to be able to enjoy your lesser (but still significant) wealth without a guilty conscience (or at least a fear of getting caught)? It's much easier for me to understand the motivation of a scam artist who starts with nothing. At least the risk/return ratio in that situation is somewhat rational.
Of course rhad is mostly right about contentment. However, it is a hard thing to be content with, being the sinful creature that I am, that others should be undeservedly higher on the meta-status-pole. As rich and comfortable as I am compared to people who lived thousands of years ago -- even kings -- I'd probably still prefer status and dysentery to living with good health, long life, great comfort and no status. Not that I live without status either. Down the hall is a whole pool of call center workers who probably envy me my position even as I envy my boss' position. But, I know I won't find contentment if I achieve whatever status I'm seeking. In studies about worker motivation, they find money to be a demotivator -- that a nice raise might motivate someone for a couple of months, but they will eventually return to resenting their employer for not paying them even more. And, there isn't much correlation between wealth and contentment. In fact, I wonder how some people born with the silver spoon in their mouths can overcome the existential angst of not needing to do anything. Still, when you see people making millions on corruption and you wonder how many can do it with impunity, how can you not feel envious, even if they make themselves miserable doing it? Surely, if I had those millions, I have the wisdom to have it in a way that wouldn't make me miserable, right? And, I'm only living once. If I was 70, like Madoff, and I knew by the time they could put me in prison I'd be dead anyway, why not live the high life and shag gold-diggers? I am a very moralistic person. I voted that justice was its own reward. Within the paradigm of being the user or the used, I'd rather persevere as the used than have to recognize myself to be a user. Even as I know that I'm both user and used in this context or that. So, I'll be content (as much as I can be) to go on playing it straight while others live the high life and shag the gold-diggers. But, it sure ain't fair. And, that's the flip-side of it, the righteous anger. These guys ought not to be able to do what they're doing. That some guy can use political connections from boarding school to dodge prison for a serious drug trafficking crime while thousands of others rot in prison for possession is an outrage. And, it was perfectly legal, even Constitutionally-protected. That Balgojevich can try to sell high political office because we chose to put our trust in his office is an outrage and I'd have him shot (after due process) if I could. How many other offices have been sold in this manner, or with a more elegant "mutual understanding?" How can I be content (as an atheist) in the face of such unpunished injustice?
It’s all about perspective, IMO. Me personally, I gladly sacrifice money, power, getting over on people etc. for being able to look in the mirror at night with a clear conscience. I have a family member who is married with 2 kids and makes a buttload of money. They just bought a beautiful $500K house a few months ago. His job has him on the road about 50% of the time. So, we’re all hanging out by the pool on Thanksgiving and a plane passes over us. His 4 year old son looks up and says “there’s Daddy!” The guys looks at me and says “wow, I’m really father of the year material, aren’t I…” It was so sad. It really put a perspective on what’s really important in life. I told my wife that our kid(s) would NEVER say that about their Daddy. I’ll make sure of that. So, no I don’t feel “suckered” for being a good person. Quite the opposite, actually. Keep your head up, JV. Those people will get what’s coming to them one way or another. And so will the good people like you and me. Your reward will be the legacy you leave for your children.
