“How Good People Turn Evil” – Corruption in the Philippines - Reaction

"The most dangerous decision is that first one – when you move from being perfectly clean and idealistic … to being tempted … to wanting it… and then accepting it. Don’t do it. Once you do, it’s a slippery slope."

Maria Ressa

This is the statement that just hit me and got stuck to my head and three things rushed through my head while I was reading this article.

Well first of all she is absolutely right, corruption is an endemic and doing everything she said is easier blogged/said than done. Only a few people will choose to  draw that line and 99% of that will eventually cross it. Only few will stand with their principles and actually say "I will work for it no matter how hard it is and how long it takes to get what I want". Young adults like me that enter the work force or even school with that kind of mentality or being idealistic but as soon as we are tempted and opportunity presents itself to us we forget that line that we draw and get confused with how evil we really are.

The three things that came to mind was one, school. This is where it all begins. This is where we choose to either nurture ourselves from being evil or remain idealistic. It starts with a little cheating with homework, then in exams then in thesis so on and so forth. Looking back I have to say I am guilty and my reputation is tainted by this making me far away from the line that I've made in the past. It is because we all thought it was easy and we stay consistent but then we find out there are ways to get passed things or get better but undeserved results we forget what's good and what's wrong with our actions.

Second would be work. I've had my fair share of an internship and actual work experience in a hotel. As a cook we too have lines to draw as too how far we go with the food that is abundantly available around us. Obviously hands off to food that is meant to be served to guests but before all that happened we were so "nah I wont do anything wrong..I'll be my best in the kitchen, wont do anything stupid" but of course to some that wears off. We get pissed at the chef or you could be really hungry. It starts with a siding(maybe a piece), then you become a bit more sneaky like 3 to 4 pieces then you grab something else and next thing you know your cooking something else for yourself. Like what Maria said. it crosses all professions. It applies to everyone that is actually influenced to get something beyond what they deserve.

Lastly, being a future entrepreneur. You can look at it at many angles, accounting, the business itself, or your product/service to your customer. There are so many forms of evil that can be crossed here. To a point you become greedy, you take or make bribes its a machine where you take everything even if it hurts other people. 

It can be politics, media, or in the medical field where corruption can occur and we can all choose to let that tipping point go loose and just continue with your deeds or hold it back and for the rest of your life keep making that decision and maintain that kind of reputation.

Relating it to our topic on the use of force, I still think this applies to this issue. After exposing the truth, go ahead and apprehend those who are guilty, hopefully it wont cause anyone to kill themselves. It helps though that when truth is exposed and it shows too when it started that people will realize how hard it is to turn back and that they will be caught eventually and will be penalized accordingly. I don't mean to bring him up but God Bless his soul, Ange Reyes, when it was his time to face judgement it was not long until he would be proven guilty. But he does an escape route which was killing himself regretting the choice to condone evil and consider it right as it supports his and his families lifestyle. True enough he is a good person who just turned evil because he chose not to say "NO".

I heard it once as a quote, "No is such a short word but so hard to actually say to others".