Just this once!
Have you ever said those words?
These are dangerous words when it compromises your moral code and integrity.
It might seem easy to justify an action that goes against your moral compass "just this once." But here's the problem ... once you cross the line "just this once," it becomes easier and easier to cross the line over and over again until that one small decision you made, leads you, little by little, to a much bigger one--one that over time, decision by decision, doesn't seem so big anymore. This can often lead to catastrophic consequences.
It is better to stand by your moral code 100% of the time, than 98% of the time.
Do what's right over and over again, even when you're tempted to take an action that goes against you. Even if you can justify it as, "Just this once."
Tin Cup
Very true and hard to do. People seem to go the easy way and go with the flo even even if your gut says otherwise.
Slipstream
This is a good one. And you're so right, once the line is crossed it makes the next time easier, the next easier, and then there's no line. Great post, thanks!
Evangel
I agree. It's a slippery slope for sure.
Sometimes people don't grasp the full meaning of making a moral decision...or sometimes they think their moral code is moral when it's not.
A woman I knew felt she couldn't live by her moral code at work because she was asked to tell lies to help the company's profits. When I asked her why she didn't just quit, she said it would be wrong because she made decent money that helped her husband's financial situation.