The common good versus narrow interests
I am increasingly getting accustomed to all
kinds of contradiction wherever I set my foot on, and my mind is also taking
part in this process.
To my best knowledge, it was the case of
two categories of people who utterly differ from each other, either in terms of
principles or the way they perform their shares of duties. This is going to be
summed up by portraying two different characters of two men. Both of them
reflect the image of a society as a whole, though one of whom ranks for a mere,
give or take, 2% of the majority, a point of view.
In a certain place they were both working. The
place brought them together and both were supposedly doing the same work. One
of them was known as a motormouth with his endless speeches through which
backing morals and principles, and how these values constitute the cornerstone
of the success of any organisation or society. The man had the necessary skills
to attract his co-workers and make them believe every single word he uttered.
What’s more, he used to show up in social events to offer his assistance or
sympathy if anybody was going through hard times. But behind these moves lay a
malignant intention.
Back to the working place, he was the one
who skipped responsibility and never performed his share of duties. A loafer
who was frequently looking for somebody to fill in for him, and he was always
looking for the easiest ways to get benefits. To guarantee and gain an
advantage he, and all people of his kind, resorted to toadyism and licking boots without valuing how important one should shield his dignity
from any kind of mistreatment or humiliation. It didn’t matter after all, since
morals had no room in his priorities.
In contrast to the first character, there was
that man who used to work without going public.
He would work hard and perform his work effectively
and efficiently. He was the man behind the success of the place and its
appalling reputation. But you would never see him in public because he was not
the one who would scan the situation for his own interests, nor did he wish to
live at the expense of others. He was lovable among some of the staff thanks to
his innovative ideas, being simple, and first and foremost for his honesty and sense
of altruism.
You would never find him praising those in
the high-up, instead he remained stern when it came to what was right or wrong,
opening room for a clash of personalities, and this what made him a lot of enemies
and vultures. However, he was the panacea each time a crisis emerged, yet he
got nothing in return but enmity. Ultimately, not feeling the sense of belonging within
this unhealthy atmosphere led him to present his resignation and even leave the
country.
The new environment was healthy and
welcoming, and an avenue for growing more and more successful presented itself;
an opportunity he did seize and exploit very well.
By Ismail KAMAL
