Independence

We began with the question - why are some people willing to go against their own principles and societal norms in order to take actions.  This led us to the expected discussion - people want $$ and they don't think they'll get caught.  But then we went elsewhere and the topic of independence arose. 

The idea is that if you are an independent employee you will not be as likely to fall victim to pressures from employers (or colleagues) to act illegally.  But how can one truly be independent?  You can get fired for going against a boss or ostracized from your co-workers (not a pleasant way to spend your working life).  Well, there is always the "F-This" bank account, as someone in class brought up.  Keep 6 months' to 1 years' salary put away so that you can just quit at any time and never have to worry about being forced to stay in a bad situation.  Not a bad idea.

But what if you just got this job?  Or you've not been able to save up that kind of money yet?  I'm sure many would say that you have no choice, and you've just got to stick it out, do what you're told and hope that later on you can enjoy that dream quitting moment.  But I disagree.  Everyone always has a choice.  The alternatives may be equally unpleasant, but there are choices for every situation in life.  So, you would have to ask yourself one very important thing - how will I feel about myself after making this choice?  I believe so many questions in life can be pared down with such a question.  "Should I have one more drink?"  "Should I take this course?" "Should I do this thing I'm being asked to do?"  All can lead to thinking about how you will feel after the choice.  And, hopefully, people like to feel good about themselves as people.