Weekly Snapshot: Blurred Lines

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Frequently in life, we are faced with pivotal choices - choices that have the power to alter our future state with a high probability. Many of these decisions fall in the grey area - they’re ethically questionable. I used to believe that ethics are universal, but observationally speaking, in practice, ethics are more personal than universal. Each person has a different understanding of the moral and ethical, which is usually derived or anchored from the underlying system. 

For example, a government tender application might work differently in the US vs. Pakistan. A bribe to win a big contract. Plagiarism to get an A. Media manipulation to hide the truth.

Now, what do we do in these situations?

There are only two possible paths: choose the benefit over the ethical or the ethical over the benefit.

Whenever you face gray-area decisions for the first time, you have an inner voice that tells you the correct answer. It is always the ethical over the benefit. I know it’s easier said than done, but in the long run, your inner voice is 100% on point - it has helped you evolve and survive thousands of years. On the other hand, once you ignore your inner voice and choose the benefit over the ethical one, your inner voice starts disappearing, and in a few years, you forget the difference between right and wrong; your internal ethical compass no longer works. 

Killing your internal ethical compass is a disservice to yourself. Keeping your reputation intact and always standing for what is right will liberate you and will be a source of your success in the long run. Rejecting opportunities that challenge your internal values and ethics is your best decision.

It is a difficult decision, but today, where we prefer capital over righteousness, it is critical.

As Ben Franklin said: ‘I’m not moral because it’s the right thing to do — but because it’s the best policy.’

💪 Wins of the week

  1. Experienced the art of public sector negotiations. Understanding how things work versus how you think they work is critical to drive change.
  2. I’m making progress in becoming more disciplined and thoughtful. Sometimes, you can experience the impact and it feels great.

🧐 Challenges & Learnings

  1. Navigating blurred lines and staying true to your internal ethical compass is critical for your survival.
  2. Slowing down is a necessity to critically think and self-reflect. I am using my time off (time off on paper) to define my path forward and align my priorities. It is very refreshing.

🎯 Goals for Next Week

Next week is all about getting shit done and growing my sense of purpose.

  1. Define content roadmap for YouTube.
  2. Finalize the action plan to achieve all my goals for 2024

📖 My Readings

I’ve completed Skin in the Game - without a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m hoping to read it again sometime this year. Meanwhile, I’ve started reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I’ve fallen in love with Stoic Philosophy so I am to explore it further this year.

🎬 My YouTube Video

I’m planning out my content calendar for the year. New video coming out soon! Stay tuned.

✍️ Quote of the Week

“Money equals business which equals power—all of which comes from character and trust.”

— J.P. Morgan

Till next time.
Raheel Ahmad