Counterpoint: There Is A Wrong Way To Do The Right Thing
One of my favorite sayings is that there is no right way to do the wrong thing. I usually say this to people who:
- focus on fixing their weaknesses instead of maximizing their strengths,
- live in the past and future instead of living in the present,
- or people who let things they can’t control dictate their response to things they can control.
The reverse of this old wise saying is just as wise. There is a wrong way to do the right thing. For example:
- If you do the right thing because someone forces you to do the right thing, so you do it half hearted.
- Or you do the right thing but you infringe on someone else’s rights or do something morally wrong while doing it.
- And last but not least, you do the right thing but you do it while being a hypocrite.
In short, it’s not enough just to do the right thing. You must do the right thing, the right way, if you really want it to be right.