One thing that makes life so unfair is the fact that some people get criticized, or even punished, for doing good while others get praised, or even rewarded, for doing bad. This kind of thing happens more often than one might think. For example, when I was in school, I was expected to get A’s and B’s on my report card. I got no kind of reward it. It was just my parents’ expectation of me. However, on the rare occasion when I would get a C or D, I would be criticized, and sometimes punished. Then there were others kids who would get rewarded by their parents for getting C’s and D’s, and would face no consequences when getting failing grades.
As an adult, I’ve often been criticized for paying my bills “too early” or working “too hard” or being “too straight-laced.” Now contrast that to some people I know who wait to the last minute (and sometimes miss the deadline) to pay their bills, are lazy, and are always getting into trouble, only to have other people always come to their rescue, and even sing their praises on a regular basis. If it weren’t for my religious beliefs, I would have thrown in the towel long ago and opted for the 1970’s-era concept of just doing what feels good.
However, those two examples from my life are nothing compared to all the people who toil in obscurity, and often poverty, to make the world a better place, while those bad boy and bad girl celebrities, who spend much of their lives in alcohol and drug rehab, generally get rewarded with popularity and wealth. They say virtue is its own reward, but I’m not so sure. I do know that as long as bad behavior often reaps better benefits than good behavior, there will be no shortage of bad behavior.
Comments