When Religious/Personal Convictions Become a Liability

Personal and religious convictions can be a liability when others do not subscribe to the same convictions. It is infinitely difficult to "turn the other cheek," a Christian principle,  when you know the next blow will come. In fact, in business, when the entire goal is to make a profit, such behavior is suicidal and against the profit mantra. Here is what I mean:

1. Truly altruistic kindness kills. You and your career/business.

Being kind to others sounds nice. It looks nice on paper, and resounds well with general religious principles. And not just Christian.  But being kind would mean NOT making a drug that you know kills people, even though you will still make billions of dollars after the law suit dust settles. Being kind would mean NOT using products you know are dangerous to the people near your plants, because it will kill them, even though you know the rewards greatly outweigh the gains. And being kind would mean NOT getting ahead on the work of your subordinate, but rather allowing them their time to shine, and not badmouthing a co-worker because you and she are competing for work. Even if it means you will make your career.  Kindness is not easy. Or necessarily profitable. 

2. Giving things away to those in need does not make business sense.

The idea of charity, for the feel-good-ness of it, does not work within a valid business model. Charity is only done for a tax break. And to improve your brand image. And only when both happen at the same time. Nothing is ever really for free. Same with one's work mantra; helping people who won't be able to benefit you isn't a sound idea.  It doesn't give you anything back but an intangible good feeling. 

3. Stealing is not bad. If you want to get ahead.

People steal. Ideas. Clients. Money. And they get ahead. Whether the meek will inherit the earth is up for grabs, but the people who literally stole land, resources, and other people sure are running things right now. So this idea about theft is an interesting one. The game plan seems to be that stealing is ok when what you are stealing is not a crime. Like stealing ideas that aren't patented/copyrighted. Or stealing ideas because of proprietary agreements (a la Matel v. Bratz litigation).  

4. Life is not fair. Be fair at your own risk.

Corporations get sued every day because they were trying to be fair. They didn't fire an underperforming employee because they wanted to give them a second chance (after all, it's only fair). The employee sues.  Individuals believing in fairness enter verbal agreements. And get screwed. A verbal contract is invalid for anything over $1000, or a host of other reasons. Life is truly not fair, so looking for fairness in an unfair world can put you out. Out of work. 

I am having problems at work. And I know a huge part of it is that I subscribe heavily to the Christian mantras of kindness, fairness, and general civility, that sometimes bites you in the you-know-where. I haven't figured out how to handle it. I do know how to drop these principles and fight dirty. But I don't like that version of myself. Regardless of what is valuable to success at a random corporation, I have to look at myself in the mirror.  I am still that person who will give her last to someone she loves, and gladly go hungry. I don't want to lose her to a pursuit of money. So, I am constantly in search of a community that values civility and hard, competent, work as much as I do. This must mean I haven't found such a place at work.  It doesn't mean I will stop trying. If Chik-Fil-A can close on Sundays because of religious piety (though I don't agree with the day, I admire the principle) and still make a profit, maybe there is a place for the kind people of the world after all.  Perhaps, when the dust really settles, the meek, kind, and genuinely benevolent, will inherit the earth.