Do the Right Thing

By Miriam Keith
December 2003
Reprinted from the Marietta Times

Jane is traveling 63 mph in a 55 mph zone. She is pulled over by a patrolman. She: A. Scolds him for not going after real criminals. B. Ekes out a few tears and tells him she is on her way to the hospital to visit a dying relative. or C. Says, “You know, you’re right. I was speeding.”

Dave spots a wad of cash on the ground in a grocery store parking lot. It adds up to $250 and no one sees him pick it up. He: A. Thanks his lucky stars and stuffs it in his pocket. B. Agonizes over it for fifteen minutes before stuffing it in his pocket. or C. Turns it in at the customer service counter immediately.

The names are changed, but these are real life scenes of people I know. Jane chose a combination of A and B, first expressing indignation and then sliding smoothly into a sob story. She related this experience in front of her children, laughing over the fact that she got off with a warning. Aside from the lessons of irresponsibility and manipulation she offered her children, Jane made a huge contribution to an ongoing dilemma she faces – she does not trust people. Dave chose option C – he turned the money in without hesitation. The praise heaped on him by the customer service representative confused him. “Since when,” he asked, “did it become extraordinary to do the right thing?”

Yes, indeed. When did it become so awe-inspiring? Every day we are faced with opportunities to do the right thing…to be honest, to admit when we are wrong, and to be fair.

• What does it mean to “do the right thing?” Some people see it as a difficult proposition, but it is easy. The difficulty sometimes lies in knowing what the right thing is. To help determine this, ask: What does my conscience say about it? Is it fair? Could it hurt anyone? Would it violate the Golden Rule? How will I feel about myself later if I do it?

Clearly, it is not rocket science. It means losing hidden agendas, manipulation, and dishonesty, letting the chips fall where they may. Many people are willing to do the right thing when there is no cost involved; the true test of character is in choosing to do the right thing no matter what, accepting any loss or inconvenience as a small price to pay.

• Why is it so important to do the right thing? There is an old saying that the world is exactly what you believe it to be. In other words, to a large extent we create our own reality. If we believe that the world is basically full of dog-eat-dog, dishonest people, then that will be the reality. The world will stink. That outlook often stems from and is reinforced by a person’s own behavior; self-centered, manipulative people tend to attribute those traits to the majority. At the same time, a fair, honest person will recognize those traits in abundance. It simply comes down to what we practice and what we focus on. Doing the right thing is important because it is the surest and most valid path to favorable self-esteem and a favorable worldview.

Taken from the www.usscouts.org website, this is a true, inspirational holiday story. Aaron Feuerstein owned Malden Mills, maker of Polartech and Polarfleece outdoor clothing. The factory employed 3,400 people and was the main employer for two neighboring towns. The area was formerly home to many mills, but most had moved to areas where they could pay fewer wages. Mr. Feuerstein believed people should be paid decent wages and refused to move. In December of 1995 on Mr. Feuerstein’s 70^th birthday, his factory burned to the ground.

The workers were devastated; sure he would take the $300 million in insurance money and call it quits. He summoned them to a high school gymnasium, and there was barely a dry eye in the place when he announced that he would not abandon them, but would rebuild the factory. Further, he would keep all 3,400 workers on full pay for a month, give each one a $275 Christmas bonus, and maintain their hospitalization insurance.

By the time reconstruction was complete, instead of one month, he had provided full pay and benefits for three months, at a cost of $1.5 million per week. His employees responded by salvaging all equipment they could and, in temporary buildings, restoring production to near normal levels while the factory was being rebuilt. Mr. Feuerstein received considerable praise from around the nation, but said he only did it because it was the right thing to do.

Happy holidays to all of you from the Washington County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Board. May all of our New Year’s resolutions include to simply “do the right thing.”