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General Discussion / Re: rely on the rule or rely on the moral?
« on: March 28, 2016, 01:14:18 pm »
This story is for all those leaders who feel they are fighting against the tide
I have an alternative view on the Crab Bucket. This is how society enforces rules without having to put a lid on the bucket. Namely, we don't need to make it impossible for someone to vote for themselves because moral outrage will cause others to pull them back into the bucket.
Conclusion: both MORAL and the RULE. The rule sets the expectation even if it isn't perfect, the moral enforces the rule.
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THE STORY OF THE CRAB BUCKET
One time a man was walking along the beach and say another man fishing in the surf with a bait bucket beside him. As he drew closer, he saw that the bait bucket had no lid and had live crabs inside.
"Why don't you cover your bait bucket so the crabs won't escape?", he said.
"You don't understand.", the man replied, "If there is one crab in the bucket it would surely crawl out very quickly. However, when there are many crabs in the bucket, if one tries to crawl up the side, the others grab hold of it and pull it back down so that it will share the same fate as the rest of them."
So it is with people. If one tries to do something different, get better grades, improve herself, escape her environment, or dream big dreams, other people will try to drag her back down to share their fate.
Moral of the story: Ignore the crabs. Charge ahead and do what is right for you. It may not be easy and you may not succeed as much as you like, but you will NEVER share the same fate as those never try.
We have been enriched by the talents of people who have had less than "perfect" bodies, whether by birth, accident or disease - Helen Keller, F.D. Roosevelt, Stephen Hawking, George Bush, Stevie Wonder, Christopher Reeve, to name just a few. They chose to "climb the crab bucket" instead of listening to others.
I have an alternative view on the Crab Bucket. This is how society enforces rules without having to put a lid on the bucket. Namely, we don't need to make it impossible for someone to vote for themselves because moral outrage will cause others to pull them back into the bucket.
Conclusion: both MORAL and the RULE. The rule sets the expectation even if it isn't perfect, the moral enforces the rule.