SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009
I have a goal: To help others consider the possibility that despite their unblemished work or criminal record, they might someday feel the need to take a shortcut; they may have weaknesses that can be exploited; and that those potential decisions can be addressed prior to them engaging in unethical behavior or criminal conduct.
Part of the problem, as I see it, is that people by nature are resistant to change. I was. I didn’t see the light until I had a life changing experience through the labyrinth also known as the criminal justice system. It’s unfortunate I neglected to better understand my weaknesses. I wish that while working as a stockbroker I had been better prepared to deal with the nefarious influences of lust, greed and ambition. In retrospect, I know now that I was too stubborn. I reasoned that I wasn’t really doing anything bad. “I’m a good guy,” I remember telling my lawyers. Prosecutors saw things differently.
Perhaps the immortal philosopher Plato described it best in his classic book The Republic (book seven) while telling his story known as The Allegory of the Cave. People have a natural propensity, Plato’s allegory instructs, to perceive the world in accordance with their own perspectives. Conveying lessons from human experience represents one of man’s greatest challenges.
I understand I can’t help those who don’t want to change. They will follow any path. They’ll change to amend their ways only when their freedom, wealth or good name is threatened. Those who choose to stay on the righteous path or take the initiative to change, position themselves to lead a more fulfilling life. It’s the life I intend to lead moving forward. I only wish I had made this decision sooner.
