3 ms·
> In situations like these it's good to remember that people are much more likely to take the ethical and principled road when they also stand to gain from that
by dirtybirdnj 2y ago
> In situations like these it's good to remember that people are much more likely to take the ethical and principled road when they also stand to gain from that choice. People who put their ideals above pragmatic self-interest self-select out of positions of power and influence.
I don't know what world you live in, but my experience has been 100% the opposite. Most people will not do what is ethical or principled. When you try to discuss it with them, they will DARVO and congrats, you have now been targeted for public retribution by the sociopathic child in the drivers seat.
The thing that upsets me most is the survivorship bias you express, and how everybody thinks that people are "nice and kind" they are not. The world is an awful terrible place full of liars, cheats and bad people that WE NEED TO STOP CELEBRATING.
One more time WE NEED TO STOP CELEBRATING BAD PEOPLE WHO DO BAD THINGS TO OTHERS.
- gizmo 2y agoPeople are not one-dimensional. People can lie and cheat on one day and act honorably the day after. A person can be kind and generous and cruel and selfish. Most people are just of average morality. Not unusually good nor unusually bad. People in positions of power get there because they seek power, so there is a selection effect there for sure. But nonetheless you'll find that very successful people are in most ways regular people with regular flaws. (Also, I think you misread what I wrote.)
- diab0lic 2y agoI think you may have misread the quote you’re replying to. You and the GP post appear to be in agreement. I read it as: P(ethical_and_principled) < P(ethical_and_principled|stands_to_gain) Or in plain language people are more likely to do the right thing when they stand to gain, rather than just because it’s the right thing.