There are those that say that every man or woman has a price and that all you have to do is name the right price and you will have them wrapped around your finger. To some extent this is true and the reason why I am saying this true is because most people lack a set of principles by which they live their lives. Therefore because they have nothing to stand for, money has become their default value system. The other thing of course is that life has been commercialized and money has become the be all and end all in the lives of most people. Money has simply become God.
Of course when we talk about people being bought we are not necessarily talking about briefcases full of cash that only happens mostly in movies, and clandestine operations. In real life it happens at a more subtle level. The people that are being bought may not even be aware that they are selling themselves.
For instance you may feel pressure from within to turn a blind eye to the wrong doings of your employer simply because exposing their wrong doings may be threatening your livelihood. Sometimes to be bought does not necessarily mean that you have to play a part in the wrong doing but that you just keep quiet while the wrong doing is taking place even though you are aware of it.
To bring this to real life, let’s explore recent political developments. It is alleged that the DIS is siphoning money from government coffers to buy political opponents. If that is true the presidency uses as it’s primary weapon of influence ministerial posts, money┬á and the awarding of tenders to reward loyalty and silence dissent. Isn’t it safe then to assume that the Presidency is surrounded by mercenaries whose loyalty may be temporary until the highest bidder comes along?
If that assumption is a natural and logical conclusion, then don’t you feel vulnerable by the fact that we have a cabinet room packed with of mercenaries whose loyalty is for sale? Who knows where the next highest bid is going to come from? How about if it comes from enemies of the people and their interests?┬á
Enough about The Presidency and its band of mercenaries; now let’s get back to you! This after all is a personal development column and not a political one. The question is can you be bought, if so how much is your price? I am asking these questions not so much because I want to know but just so that you know if you are the type that can be bought or not? What is your risk profile? Do you have the traits of people that can be bought? Do you find yourself agreeing to go along because you don’t want to rock the boat? Do you find pleasing people much more important than doing what is right?
Would you rather take a promotion or cash than listen to your conscience? How about your friends and the people you associate with, are they people of integrity and can they be trusted to stand to stick with what is good no matter the consequences of their decision? Do you know what you stand for and the principles by which you live your life? If someone paid you to numb your conscience for one day, will you do it?
It is often said that “all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing,” because by your silence you are giving them your consent.┬á So whether it is in politics, family or business it is your moral duty to speak the truth because if you don’t speak out then you are just as guilty as the culprits.┬á
You have a conscience, a voice within that tells you what is wrong and what is right. If you listen to that voice you will not be caught in an embarrassing position where you will have to choose between your conscience and money. Debt is often the number one reason why people end up taking money instead of listening to their conscience. So how indebted are you? The more in debt you are the more likely you are to compromise your integrity when put on the spot.┬á The first step to avoid being bought is to stop exposing yourself to excessive debt because it can be difficult to stand up for what you believe in if you know that you may not have a way of servicing your obligations should they pull the plug on you. Training yourself and your loved ones to always tell the truth as you see it, is what guarantees that later on in┬á life you don’t make deals with the devil.
