I think as one becomes more 'successful' in life, gets more degrees, moves up in rank, there is pressure to conform to a certain image of what you should be like. The quote above, from Dr. Seuss, is a good reminder.
When I was young, I would say exactly what I thought, not that anyone particularly listened. Like most adolescents, I was often outraged by the injustices in the world and the hypocrisies of adults. As I got older, I learned to consider things from other people's perspectives and began to understand that people could disagree with me without being ignorant or evil.
However, like many people, as I got older I was under increasing pressure to conform.
"Someone with a Ph.D. should not use profanity."
Excuse me, but if you just lied to my face, it is #%^ed up. I am not going to pretend it is all right and it doesn't matter if you are the president of a university or the clerk in a department store. If you did something morally offensive, I am NOT going to be nice about it.
Some people tell me that I never learned to play the political game right. Sometimes, they say, you need to be willing to lie a little, or at least go along with someone else who is saying something that isn't true, especially if they have the power to help your career or your company.
I disagree. I really enjoyed Carly Fiorina's book, which I read recently. She was at one time the president of Hewlett Packard and one of the most successful women in American business, ever. One quote from her book stuck with me,
"Once you sell your soul, no one can ever buy it back for you."
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