I do not want to go over the heads

"End justifies the means". Virtually every more or less educated person knows this famous phrase. This saying belongs to the Jesuit Eecobaru and is the motto of the Jesuit Order.

It is also familiar to us that today more and more people successfully practice the implementation of these terrible words in real life. "Walking on the head" has long been possible to record in Olympic sports and collect during their show a considerable television audience. A lot of modern books literally scream on every page that “all means are good on the way to the goal”, which, they say, “do not judge the winners” and in general “the strongest wins”.
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Questions of the moral plan fade into the background, giving way to PROFITA. This is not surprising, because if success is obvious, if the goal is attainable, then why be tormented, especially since torment does not bring any actual dividends. So it turns out that once having set ourselves a goal, even if the most noble one, we run the risk of choosing the wrong route to achieve it. Games with conscience are dangerous games where a person may even not notice how his decency is deformed and disappears. It is scary to forgo principles only the first few times, then it becomes habitual.

Today we will talk with you about how to avoid conflict with yourself and not go over your heads, even if the goal would seem to be worth it. We will try to understand why “successful” and “rich” are two different concepts. Finally, we simply once again secure ourselves against mistakes in the future.

The first figure. Rich

We will assume that someone N has set himself a completely decent goal - over the next ten years to achieve the position of deputy director. Is the goal good? The goal is wonderful! Another thing is that N is somewhat deprived of talents, and therefore in fair play with other candidates he does not shine. But where you can not win cleanly, you can always act on the sly or simply bribe the main arbiter. What, in fact, our N and is engaged throughout the time that remains before the deadline. The flattery of superiors, the stipulation of employees, the appropriation of other people's merits — all this is no longer a special difficulty for N. They initially decided that the goal would justify any means.



Ten years have passed and now N has reached what he has dreamed of all the past years. The reason for which he made a deal with his conscience and cruelly deceived her. He is the deputy director and, it would seem, everything in life is now wonderful. There is prosperity, there are prospects for further growth and there is much, much more. It is time to return everything as it was, and once again become a decent person. But no ... The law is not retroactive! Having decided once to "go to their heads," N signed his sentence. All that now awaits him is internal lack of freedom, fear that it will also be removed once, and many, many more fears. This person is rich, but he is not successful. He is a slave to his goal, and she, if he is honest, will one day become a terrible curse for him. The goal is achieved, but it would be better not to achieve it.

The second figure. Successful

For the purity of the experiment, we assume that the arena is the same. N and goal. Of course, it would be possible to endow N with numerous talents in this version of the development of the plot and let him win the battle "for a clear advantage." No, we will not do this, we will assume that N has rather mediocre abilities, but still rushes into battle for the same goal as before. The only discrepancy in the scenarios is that now he decides to play fair. No: intrigue and slyness. Yes: hard work and a long journey up the career ladder.



What happens to our hero over time? And what happens is that N is unlimited. He is not tormented by questions of the moral plan, internally he is free and relies only on his knowledge. He does not take handouts, he is improving. Even if in ten years the respected N does not reach the goal, he ... will reach it anyway. Why? Everything is simple enough: by this time he will be a successful specialist who can work hard. N will be free internally, and life will not seem to him a series of dirty tricks. Oddly enough, but such people are truly successful.

The third figure. Reflections

Naturally, everyone makes their choice. Heading is profitable, but sad. Hard work is not always a decent reward, but it is stable, calm and reliable. Chasing the goal, you can forget about morality and become its slave. This is scary.

On the other hand, constant control of yourself, work on actions is a pledge that the goal will become your ally. Making the right choice is always very important, because life does not forgive mistakes, and conscience never forgives betrayal.

Upd. With this article we want to raise the scrupulous question - “Are all means good?” And what the scope of this problem in the IT industry.

SmartProgress - achieving goals