Topic: Thought: how far can you go in a career without going against your principles (Read 281 times)

I don't see the sense of having a high-paying job that goes against our principle. I would rather have a minimum-wage career where I can work freely without stepping on others. Success isn't just about having a high-paying job but also about living a happy and contented life. We can still reach the position that we want by working hard for it and striving for it legally and honestly. The way you reached your position is the reflection of your principle and personality.

Well, those who did evil things just to achieve higher position, maybe that’s also what they believe that it can bring good to them. But the truth is, success does not come from evilness but definitely from goodness. So stick to your own principles which you think are right, and never let others control you for that. At the end of the day, success and happiness are not measured by how the people expect from you, but definitely on how you live with it guided from your own good principles in life.

Do not live for others, but live with your own principles in life. That way, you will have more courage and develop peace of mind knowing you are following your own ways that you think is right. Also, success will not be possible if you are not genuine to your own self and to the people around you. Yes, you can be somehow influenced with the trends that the crowd follow as a standard of living, but remember you can be on your own and still excel as long as you also put hardwork and passion in everything you do.

When I was a kid, I remember how often I heard this phrase that business can't be done fairly in my country: everyone had to bribe someone, has to manipulate numbers, abuse position from time to time etc. I think it certainly was true in those times of my childhood and earlier, and I'm not sure if it's true today. But since those times of being a kid I decided that I don't want to start my own business if it requires bribing people and breaking other laws. I think other things strongly depend on the kind of career a person wants to have and the country and institution where it happens. I do have some principles and things which I find acceptable and those which I find unacceptable. But a career per se has never been a huge goal in my life, to be honest, so maybe that's why I avoided major dilemmas so far.

Career is not just about money. Career also includes about a person's struggle to achieve goals to be achieved in the future, and success.

Indeed, in the end something we do ends up being about money. But that does not mean everything can be bought with money.

I want to be a successful person, but I think again everything takes process and time. So for now, I'm more focused on developing my strengths myself. There is a saying 'your biggest enemy is yourself'. So what we have to watch out for is ourselves. We have to understand and know ourselves first. So that we can understand our strengths and weaknesses. So that we can have a career in the field that we love.

I have gone quite a long way, from the age of 16, from the position of a developer to the position of CIO for today. For all the time he did not step over his conscience and moral principles. He did not soil himself with vile decisions and dishonest "games". I don't like liars, traitors, stupid and embittered people, which I speak openly about I don't have any particular difficulties in remaining human. Yes, there are companies where immorality and meanness are part of the corporate culture. Everything is simple here - just leave the company and do not suffer because of it!

Don't always believe what you see, some things are like goat in sheep clothing. For the sake of money, many unreasonable and unreal things have taken over reality all in the name of development and globalization, no thanks to social media.


I think the whole economic woes and getting wrong people into undeserving places, trading meritocracy against mediocrity is the failure of leadership. Very briefly when the leaders fail to do the right thing, the result is nepotism.

Movies and TV shows creates illusion to people that what they are showing is real and relatable on real life which in fact is the opposite. You should never illustrate real life situation to TV shows and movies. Being yourself and still be able yo prove yourself and boost your economical factor relatively is quite a feat however sometimes that is not always the case. There are situations where being yourself could provide conflict to what you do and the aspect of your success.

Anyways, Yes, there are instances where bending your principles could boost your situation but it doesn't mean that it should stay that way in the long run. You can try to bend your principles and bend it back afterwards to avoid changing oneself.

I'm glad to know that you resisted the pressure from this society that you shouldn't leave such opportunity but in reality many people who gives space to the moral values and refuse to take such offers will be pressurized by this community in the sense like why you are living as an idiot and at some point they regret their decision and live with that.

Its totally depends on the character within every personal which obviously varies into two different extremes so just go with what you're okay with it and no need to worry about what other people say about our life principles.

The simple way to workout on this is: Be yourself and let others follow you! There is no harm in following your own principles and you can go beyond the skies with yourselves. Never believe in movies, sometimes they are the one whose rooting bad ideas on our minds and we start to relate that in real world due to unconscious thoughts and surroundings.

Your principles, if you have set them properly then write this down other peeps will follow you and try to mimic the success in their lives. Never forget how big personalities formed around us, they were enthusiastic about their work, shown at most dedications and went against the world.

Life is full of struggles and sacrifices, so sometimes to life is not easy, sometimes we have to sacrifice our principles in order to survive. In fact, I was
at the lowest point in my life, where I had to take on a job that not only wasn't what I wanted, but the work goes against my principles of life. And I have
to fight and be patient to live it for several years, because I really needed money at that time, for which I had a family that I was responsible for.
But if we have a strong desire to change for the better and keep trying to give the best in our lives. Then our life journey slowly begins to change
to the path we want, therefore good things come if we have patience and are always grateful in this life.

I have seen people who reached insane amount of wealth, I guess tens of millions of dollars, and none of them really "sold their soul to devil" type of deal.

I mean sure there are situations like that, for example I got an offer to do something bad, not illegal, just unethical, and I refused it, and I am sure someone else must have accepted it and the offer was super high, let me put it this way; the offer was in 2014, and it offered me more money than I am making right now in 2022. Think of how much it was, it was nearly one car worth of money per month and I still declined. So, yes there are offers like that out there if you want to, but there are legit ways too.

Whether you do check it out if it would be worth or not and this is where choices and decisions would really be made because there are things which arent worth sacrificing for.
Some people do really put up important with their ego and principles on life and never ever touches something that is outside of it despite of the career and opportunities that they might
face on but there are people who do just neglect it out for the sake of the good specially if they are really finding some job for them to sustain financially then they would
really just get along on what they are currently involving.

I'm not sure I'm following you exactly dead on, but you bring up an interesting topic and something I actually think about a good amount being that I work in the finance industry.  I'm going to be completely honest, every single financial institutions does immoral things, even some of my direct positions. Now I've never worked for anything that flat out scams anyone, but there are things my company has done that aren't entirely in the best interest of the client when they could done so.  I would never do anything work wise that completely broke down my morals however.

In my experience, following a career path entails one to forgo a previous way of thinking, behaving, dressing, carriage, and even language and signs to learn by indoctrination or orientation a new set of codes. These new codes would recommend one to of course sacrifice one's principles, most times beliefs inclusive to fully gain what such a career promises.
It takes a resilient personality strongly rooted before such a person can not only maneuver but absorb and filter what is important or not. No one actually tells anyone how to behave at work. One doesn't just assumes and respond unnecessarily. Intelligence, ability to be able to carry out instructions and fulfil tasks, also great communication skill no matter if one is an introvert or extrovert, is what matters most. Unless one gives in, no one can force one against his principles or beliefs.

I think it's better that way since working on something while your guilt and conscience is killing you inside is a torture. I've seen some people doing like that although they know what they were doing but they still proceed to do it anyway out of self respect but they needed the money. They chose to eat their own pride while working and can't blame them but that's how life it's not that easy and everyone is trying to make a living.

If one could find a better job with their principle's isn't bothered I think we won't be fighting everyday to make a living.

For some people then they would really be ignoring that principle of theirs and would stick out on something that could give out more wealth,fame or simply have almost everything since they do know that being poor

is something that couldnt really be easy to deal with thats why they would really be swallowing their pride and would neglect out that principle of theirs and would tend to go along with those things

that they could really make out some more money or making yourself having a good career even if it would be against on your principles.

You stage the question as if it's one or the other, when there is a whole range of scenarios in between. Some people maintain the highest standards all throughout their life and career, others start off with a certain set of standards but then drop those as they try to play the career game and some were put into positions of power never having earned it but having the right connections or being manipulative enough to engineer it. For those except the super rich there is definitely a degree of getting along and having a face that fits in order to progress, you have to be strategic about your interactions in a company for all sorts of reasons but intelligence will always shine through in the long run. Even then, if you reach the top it can be possible to alter some of the bad behavior you saw on the way up, so never write somebody off because change is possible.

Personally, I won't sacrifice my own principles in exchange for any position or wealth because for me, real success is living a contented and happy life without the need of pleasing others. What's the sense of having a good career and wealthy life if you are not happy because you're having it against your will? As for me, you don't have to please reach their standards of success as long as you have your principles with you and you're not harming anyone.

A career must not sacrifice personal principles and it is worth it. If you don't believe in something, don't accept the job because of the important role it plays in your daily life. There are always other career paths to take that will benefit you and will not violate your personal beliefs. It goes deep into ethical standards if I'm not mistaken, but right now it's really hard to find all the jobs that make us happy, calm, and winning.

I totally agree with you,  first of all,  I think we have to come to terms with what it takes to be in that right place, then before we ask how many of the right people are willing to do that which it takes.

The wrong people are the ones in the right places because -
1. Being in that right place (at a greater level) requires one to go against his or her morals or principles.
2. And unfortunately,  the wrong people are the ones who easily let go their morals or principles in quest for wealth, power and fame which are the reward those right places offer.

This is why most times,  it is very difficult to find the right persons in the right places because they are not willing to sacrifice that which is required,  as doing that will mean them going against their morals and principles.

Moving to the top of the pyramid & becoming rich is quite easy in the world... the only thing that constantly discouraged us from going further is what it takes to move to the top and become rich. Alot change their mind easily due to money/reward(Love of money).

In my opinion, to sell your soul to the devil is to accept to serve him. There has to be an agreement/deal first, you will be aware that what you aiming at for money/reward is evil but to survive and feed your children you need to do it. If you accept it you have made deal with the devil.but if you reject it the system makes sure you're poor & wretched, and hope that you will eventually come back begging. People actually sell their soul to the devil by agreeing to serve him through what they do or support for reward. Once you are sold, you become his puppet and he uses you however he wants. If you refuse to continue serving him you are blackmailed, jailed, killed, etc. The only way out of it is to run to the one who is way more Powerful than him... HE is our CREATOR.

I think devil is actually very much interested in talented people but he makes them use the talents wrongly. So, expect to see very talented people in evil companies/organizations but you won't be wrong to assume they are using the talents to do very bad things. Ofcourse, there are round peg in square hole workers and I typically assume they work for companies/organizations/people who don't care  much about talents or don't know how to source them put them together & use them to achieve the desired results. Another possible reason is that talents are lacking or the use of untalented people is deliberate way to weaken a country/organization.

There are many other important skills needed that can get you to key positions and not necessarily only your educational qualification or you being smart. You can find people even less qualified for some key positions that are given the Job because of Networking, having good friends and the ability to learn quickly and catch up.

You have to be socially active and friendly. Having good friends can be a game changer you know, good friends who are very connected even without your knowledge can refer for job positions just because they want to help you, and they have also seen that you have the second skill set that I will highlight next.

Your ability to learn determines a lot. If you can learn quickly, you are a good candidate for a job that you have been referred for even if you are not exactly educationally qualified for it.

Educated people do not necessarily have the intelligence to be able to understand every task from their superiors so they do not have the opportunity to get a higher position.
Not everyone will do evil things to get to a higher position, there are still many honest people who uphold the principle of truth to be able to reach a higher position even though it can be said it is very rare, but in all aspects of life there will always be good and the evil one and the evil one can still have a high position because the one who gave the position is not aware of the evil nature and evil things he is doing.

It is true that our society often glorifies those who have reached high levels of success in their careers. This can create a lot of pressure for people who feel like they are not measuring up. It is important to remember that success is not always about how much money you make or what position you hold. There are many different paths to success and everyone has their own unique talents and abilities that they can use to achieve their goals.

It is also important to remember that success often comes at a cost. People who are successful often have to make sacrifices in order to achieve their goals. This can include sacrificing their own moral principles or beliefs. Sometimes, people have to do things that they are not comfortable with in order to get ahead.

This can be a difficult balance to strike, but it is important to remember that you should never sacrifice your own values in order to achieve success. Success is not worth sacrificing your integrity for.

If you maintain your integrity and morality, it might evoke envy in people around you and they may wish misfortune upon you. Remember Jesus? William Wallace? My favourite characters from fiction who go through a similar fate: Edmond dantes, Prince myshkin, Raskolnikov.

It's a cruel and sick world 

These circumstances have occurred throughout history. Defined by cycles of corruption followed by counter culture movements in the opposite direction. The roman empire struggled with high inflation of the denarius close to 2,000 years ago. Just as many nations today struggle with it. What is interesting is people often believe they're better off not knowing essential history. Making it easier for history to repeat itself.

For most values and ideology we have prior precedents. Others struggled with the issues we face today for millennia. We can draw upon their example for guidance and support. And if we're lucky: learn from their success and failure. When conditions are the worst appear to be when people are discussing topics like poverty and inflation as if they never existed before yesterday. As it means we lack the historical perspective necessary to properly put everything into context.

Principles normally trend somewhere between materialism and spiritualism. Everyone makes their choice. And hopefully everyone is happy with their results.

If you think what others are going to say, you will never be happy with what you do and with your life.
Just focus on your grit and your passion and you will make yourself happy and contented with what you have. Everyone wants to have a decent way of living and we're taught in schools to have a good career and not explore with things that are risky. That is why we're molded to the thought of having a successful career and high position as an employee.

I think, in time, we will reach to the point on assessing our lives. Yes, we want to be slave by our desires, especially if you are still in your younger years, but then, later on in our lives, when we experienced a lot of struggles and challenges, we will come to a realization on what's important to survive and be contented with our lives. And finally, follow our principles and just be at peace on the things that we really value most.

in essence life is to seek happiness and peace both physically and mentally, it's just that some people think it is achieved by becoming a slave to desire and throwing away moral principles, trust and honesty, so that financial and economic wealth is no longer something that must be fulfilled and fulfilled,, but becomes a power and greed

Want to live a happy life? Start focusing on your own strategy and go for what you think is right. You can’t just follow the crowd, you can create your own and still be successful. Having that work is great, but don’t live with too much pressure from the crowd.

Here in this market, we have no boss here yet many becomes rich simply because of their dedication and commitment to learn things here, again it’s not what other think of you, it’s all about how you see yourself and how you work just to achieve your goal.

That really depends on what you do. If you are a top executive in oil or chemical industry, you could be tempted to cause a lot of damage to environment and endanger lots of lives to boost the company's profits. But if you are making children's toys or something like that, there's less opportunity for evil actions. It also depends on your country - in some causing harm to the public could be risky because you can be sued and harshly fined or even go to jail, in others you can bribe your way out of any legal trouble.


No it's not the root of economic issues. Economic problems like inflation, unemployment, lack of business activity happen for many different reasons.

We live in a world which glamorizes and praises people who reach at working positions considered top tier, consequently bringing high status and guaranting large financial returns. At school, on the media, during friendly or familiar discussions and everywhere else that is the ideal concept of success for our society, as common sense.

But what is the price to be paid to reach in such positions? i don't talk about the effort of educating yourself to be qualified to reach a position like that. Even because there are many educated and smart people who aren't at key positions on their local societies. Quite the opposite, they live on the edges of society, despite the fact they are educationally qualified and decent people.

It came to my mind that a possibility could be that it's not important how literate, rightful, honest, prepared you are, rather the important is if you are able to sacrifice your own morale principles, beliefs in order to follow and fulfill the orders, desires and interests of others who can potentially boost your career upside, or simply to avoid having them as enemies, rivals who could sabotage you somehow.

Some movies and stories show us that, illustrating the idea as people had to sell their souls to the devil in order to be rewarded with wealth, power and reputation in life.

Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?

Isn't the root of the economical issues we face world wide the fact wrong people are at the right places? Because once you have unscrupulous individuals calling the shorts in the world, you can expect there is going to be a lot of injustice, inequality, power abuse, greed, false promises, distrust, and many other factors which eventually lead to economical disbalance, being impossible to create a propitious environment for its healthy development.