I recently came across a thoughtful discussion in an online forum: Is it possible to do business in India without bribe! This has been a topic of much attraction by many groups discussions in India.
Some of the arguments in the discussion go like these:
- "If in a Government job...what would you have done...taken a bribe or not?"
- "I've heard of honest govt officials who get sidelined and in some cases even demoted because of their integrity"
- In Sri Lanka, the culture of bribery is not as endemic - you can do business (especially if the government is not a customer) without paying any bribes at all.
The story would certainly change is we look from the other side of under-the-table! This made me realize that, the question we are asking is not right! Question is not, whether you should give or take bribe, but why (or do) we need bribe to make our life/business simpler? And if not, then please don't me give Utopian examples like 'Singapore'. Singaporeans have been successful, but how much they count??
My second series of questions is totally different! Here it goes...
"Do we consider, bribing as something totally wrong?" If yes, why? If no...then I know the reasons. But if yes, then don't we have so many other wrongs we us too! And what if we gain after doing these wrongs? Do we still call it a wrong? And why whatever we do, is always a right??? Hoping for some thought provoking arguments in/against!
Can law stop all this malaise? Possibly not! But a more difficult to answer question is: 'can we; as a human being has the will to stop our own corrupt behavior? The answers would very.
Why are we so greedy? Well, possessions can bring us pleasure. And pleasure can become addictive. If we mistakenly associate pleasure with happiness, it's not surprising that we pursue it without end. Another reason for greed is fear. We're afraid there is only so much material to go around, and if we're not quick enough, someone else may snatch what we want. Although fear can cause greed, ironically, greed causes more fear. For as Chuang Tzu wrote," He who considers wealth a good thing can never bear to give up his income; he who considers eminence a good thing can never bear to give up his fame. He who has a taste for power can never bear to hand over authority to others. Holding tight to these things, such men shiver with fear; should they let them go, they would pine in sorrow." Isn't it true that if our desires are endless, our cares and fears will be too?
Answers are not difficult in themselves, but the difficulty actually lies in seeing them. Because, we cannot have everything we want, we need to focus on what's important in our lives and prioritize. And only then, we would be able to see the answers...
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