It seems that integrity is no longer valued. Decades ago, a man’s word was his bond. If he said something, he meant it, and his actions were consistent with his beliefs. Accusations were based on substance, not personal attacks or fabricated charges.
Today, people often behave unacceptably and then try to justify it. Society has become so self-absorbed and lacking in accountability that integrity appears to have been sidelined. What that results in is what we are seeing, the rise of systemic narcissism and a population of selfish, narcissistic people that are unable to foresee the disastrous consequences of their behaviour.
In these times, politics, law, business, religion, and other positions of power now attract sociopaths—those without a conscience or moral code. Their corruption has infiltrated the mainstream population.
Our greatest challenge is that we do not hold the corrupt accountable. Loyalty to party, ethnic, and religious affiliations often leads us to overlook wrongdoing by those within our group, making excuses instead.
The most pathetic aspect is that the majority of us are susceptible to the lure of power and money. In a society where these rewards are freely given to those who say things favorable to the powers that be, the temptation to succumb is extremely strong.
We now face motivated ignorance, where people willfully blind themselves to facts and the truth. For many, knowing the truth is too costly, psychologically painful, or threatening to their core identity. This incentivizes nescience; people actively choose to remain ignorant. When presented with strong arguments or compelling evidence against their beliefs, they reject them to avoid the distress of realizing they have been lying to themselves and others.
Poverty and greed have eroded our capacity and resilience, leading to poor decisions driven by survival instincts and further disorientation. As Mr. Cobb once said, once an idea takes hold in society, it is almost impossible to eradicate. However, we must strive to organize and build communities that rally people to the cause of democracy. How far we can progress is questionable given the materialistic quest in our current social formation.
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