Sunday, May 04, 2008
Thanks, But No Thanks
I'm on my way to a convention, so I only have enough time for a quick post.
My colleague and co-TBR member, Joey, sent me this little tag a while back. I've been meaning to answer it but putting it off because I have no idea how to! Well, here's a shot at it.
If you were the ruler of the world and you could have anything you wanted as well as have people do anything you wanted, do you think you would get greedy and mean or would you be a good and fair ruler?
Frankly, this post was hard for me because I have never entertained any ambition to achieve world domination - and it's hard for me to understand someone who would. Being a live and let live kind of person, I wouldn't know what to do with absolute power. I'd be more likely to give it away to everyone else as soon as I got it. Nonetheless, I don't think anyone can predict what the answer to this question until he or she is suddenly given this responsibility.
I'd like to think that I would never fall into the "greedy and mean" category, but if I use my power to grant a few big favors here and there to the people I love over other people I don't know, how does this make me different from the people who do?
Over lunch yesterday, Ei, my idealistic lawyer friend, and I were discussing Philippine politics today. I posed to her the question - "How can these [corrupt] people in office live with themselves when the poverty of the people they are sworn to serve is blatantly staring them in the face?"
Where do they get their sense of entitlement? Where do they get their nerve? Did they start out as well-meaning idealists before they became corrupted by the power they were given as a means to serve? Were they changed from people who sought these posts to change the lives of others into people who now only look out for themselves?
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4 comments:
Thanks for answering this meme, Claire. Honestly, I also had difficulty thinking of a good answer. Parang nobody will say that they will be selfish and greedy, but how come the reality is that those in power ARE?
I think those who initially wanted to do good are eventually threatened to change their ways unless they face the wrath of other corrupt officials with, who knows, kidnapping of their family or assassination attempts. Other mean to do well but everyone around them is so lazy/ corrupt that everything moves at the pace of molasses.
power is highly addictive. and for those who have a weak sense of morality and integrity, they easily succumb to greed.
I would choose to be a good and fairer ruler... How I wish I would be a ruler so I can correct the corruption and likes ;0
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