prevent or encourage

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched this tag line in 2003. It has licensed its use for use in public awareness campaigns about security.

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“He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it.”

Seneca (a 1st century roman philosopher)

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I like this quote because of its simplicity.

No gray area.

Black & white.

Do something to correct a wrong or you are inherently encouraging wrongness.

This is more than moral or ethical responsibility.

This is more about actions speaking louder than words.

This is about making the world a better place.

Now.

Just because it is simple doesn’t mean it is always easy (although one would imagine it should be simple all the time).

And I imagine people could look at his and send me a laundry list of situations in which Seneca “overlooked” and it is not as simple as he states. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm … sorry folks.

It’s this simple.

I don’t care if you are in business, at a game, in school, in a social environment, if you do not actively correct a ‘wrong’, you are implicitly encouraging it.

Now. Let me lean in on again to Seneca suggest it is not that simple.

“The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.”

Sometimes doing the right thing creates adversity. It creates ‘conflict.’ Basically, you are ‘pushing back’ against something.

I, personally, don’t think not encouraging wrong behavior or deeds is brave, but, that said, if you think you have to be brave just to do the right thing, go for it. I don’t give a shit as long as you do not remain silent and actually do something.

Sometimes you have to prevent wrong when you see it, regardless of the situation, simply because if you do not do anything … you encourage it to happen again.

Here is what I know. This needs to happen more often in today’s world.

Period.

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Written by Bruce