The Sense of our Self-respect…

Self respected- Ellora!

          A serious problem we are facing in our country today is ‘Corruption’. We generally want to fight corruption by moral preaching, which is not working as per expectation, rather spread out in every sphere of our living activities.

         On the importance of this self-respect relates the solution, if you go to the root of the problem.

         Try to realize with relevant situation. If somebody comes and offers a bribe, what will be the response? Why does a person become corrupt?

         Immediate probable response: “How dare you offer me a bribe!” like that…

         If the bribe is high enough! Start thinking, weighing the possibilities…

         But if it is mere amount, say in ‘rupees’, and reacts ‘How does you offer me a bribe.’  Then why do you get angry? Actually, because of your self-respect and will not fall below your standard!

         

         Here comes another aspect. What determine the standard?

Let’s increase the level of the bribe gradually to ‘thousands’…’lakhs’…’chores’…. Eventually, at some point one will break, when the advantage of accepting the bribe outweighs living up to his standard and his self-respect.

         What determines the breaking point? What has set his standard? The standard is set by his sense of identity.

         

         In case, one’s ancestors were fought for our country’s freedom and suffered selflessly for a great ideal, and then the breaking point of his standard will be very high, perhaps approach infinity! Likely we need to know the true story of our struggle for freedom, and then we will value the freedom. Similarly, know the past and struggles that gone through to bring us where we are now. By knowing our past we can have a high self respect. Start with history, positive civilizational achievements, with their identity, things that should make them proud and awaken self-respect.

        

         Therefore, you can see corruption is in some sense an index of self-respect.

         Just by recovering self-respect, one can combat corruption, both individually and collectively. Unfortunately, we seriously lack to establish our highest ideals and standards set by collective identity of family, culture or nation.