Closing Two Eyes

Rules are made to be broken. Well, records are, especially those set by athletes, but as for rules, I'm not too sure. Being in the discipline business for too long has certainly rubbed off on me: I'm probably more legalistic than most, with little sense of practicality. And then there's the factor known as my upbringing - I grew (and still grow) in an environment where discipline is highly emphasized. Therefore, closing two eyes when it comes to any rule breaking business is foreign to me.

My penchant for rules is so well known, that when I have to break them, even my classmates can't believe their ears. I have this very anti-liquid paper stance in school - no liquid paper in school, no matter what the reason. So when one day I had to borrow liquid paper to "liquid out" a portion of my bio report, on my teacher's orders, my neighbour was so shocked, instead of empathizing with me and quietly lending her liquid paper to me, she said, "What? Can you say that again?"

It's hard enough doing something completely unnatural, or maybe even counter-intuitive, which breaks my own moral fibre. The determination I needed to ask once was already ripping my conscience apart. To ask another time, however, was a bit too much for me. Besides, her apparent refusal to lend it to me sort of reminded me of my stance on liquid paper in schools. So instead of repeating myself, I just mumbled,"I'd rather die than ask for it again." As for as I could tell, she didn't hear the last comment, but I also knew that I wasn't going to be asking her for liquid paper again, at least in school.

So I have closed two eyes when it comes to certain occasions, and gotten myself into trouble. But we often find it easier when we justify it, or when we say that after ignoring the rules,"I feel better", or when we aren't the ones who are enforcing the rules. Rule breaking is often easy, especially when we don't understand the reason why rules are there in the first place. Rule enforcing, however, seems like a perpetual uphill task for the enforcers.

But seriously, if I were to close two eyes, and look the other way, there are serious implications for everyone involved. I'd get the berating of my life from the teachers, lose trust here and there, my classmates who choose to break the rules would get punished, etc.

Closing two eyes, while easy to do, isn't easy on the conscience. When we are entrusted to do something, we know we have to do it to the best of our ability, just as we would expect of someone who we entrusted to do something. Just as we would be furious at someone who betrayed our trust, we too, can expect a good toasting if we betray someone else's.

Not everyone is entrusted to carry out a task by a person. Representatives, regardless of status, are entrusted by the majority of an institution to represent them. The police is entrusted by the people to maintain law and order. The government is entrusted by the people to ensure national, personal and financial security, among other things. When we close two eyes and look the other way, forgetting our duties to those we are responsible to, we will find it exponentially harder to gain back their trust, for people find it easier to remember us by what they find amusing. Unusual. Bizarre. Then, when we require their help, we will find that it would be extremely hard to come by.

Not everyone is in the discipline business, but everyone's life is influenced by rules and discipline. Everyone has their own set of rules, regardless of what they do, who they work for or what they believe in. When we close two eyes and look the other way, we disrupt this fabric known as the peace of mind of other people. First it starts out small, then as it goes on, people get more and more daring. It might only be peace of mind initially, but it might grow to property damage, and might get even worse after that. Nip it in the bud, as some people would say. Once cut out early, the desire to go forth and do even more devious deeds normally goes away. Normally.

Sometimes, disciplining backfires. Instead of discouraging the culprit and others from doing the bad deed in question, it might only strengthen the resolve of the person in question and encourage interest in other people. So while we can't close two eyes and look the other way, we need to also ensure that our methods of disciplining don't backfire. Fighting fire with fire might not be the best idea in this case. A fine balance needs to be struck between retribution and rehabilitation.