" The road to hell is paved with good intentions "
This proverb means that good intentions alone do not guarantee good results. Many people act with good intentions, but the results are not always favorable.
To give a simple example, if someone donates money to help the poor, it can be a good thing if the money is used appropriately and helps them with a vital aspect of their lives, but it can also be a bad thing if the relief effort is misguided and destroys the local economy or prevents the community from becoming self-reliant, leaving the poor worse off.
One of the most talked about examples of this is a social enterprise called Play Pump.
The PlayPump: What Went Wrong?
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Earlier this week, PBS's Frontline ran a story about the PlayPump, a technology that was supposed to bring drinking water to thousands of African communities by harnessing the power of children at play. Now dozens of PlayPumps in Mozambique sit idle, and i
This project had good intentions, a brilliant idea, and was praised by many people and organizations around the world, but in the end, it didn't deliver the expected results.
In the study of economics, we see examples like this.
Maximilien Robespierre, the leader of the French Revolution in the 18th century, implemented a number of policies to realize the ideals of the revolution, the most famous of which was the control of basic commodities, of which milk was a prime example.
At the time of the Revolution, there was a great divide between the rich and poor and hunger was a serious problem, and Robespierre wanted to control food prices to ensure that everyone could afford the basics. Milk in particular was an important source of nutrition for children and the sick, so it was essential to lower and stabilize prices. With good intentions, he wanted to make milk more accessible to everyone, thus improving nutrition and realizing social equality.
So in 1793, a decree forcibly lowered the price of many staples, including milk. The price of milk was immediately lowered at the threat of Robespierre, and the people cheered, but the effect was the opposite of what was intended.
Soon after, the price of milk rose sharply, and the amount of milk produced plummeted.
What was the reason for this? We can easily conclude that the reason is quite obvious.
In economic terms, it's the result of a business that didn't break even and went out of business, and it's also an example of the paradox of regulation.
However, shouldn't we always be wary that no matter how good the intentions of leaders are, the outcome may be different?
This project had good intentions, a brilliant idea, and was praised by many people and organizations around the world, but in the end, it didn't deliver the expected results.
In the study of economics, we see examples like this.
Maximilien Robespierre, the leader of the French Revolution in the 18th century, implemented a number of policies to realize the ideals of the revolution, the most famous of which was the control of basic commodities, of which milk was a prime example.
At the time of the Revolution, there was a great divide between the rich and poor and hunger was a serious problem, and Robespierre wanted to control food prices to ensure that everyone could afford the basics. Milk in particular was an important source of nutrition for children and the sick, so it was essential to lower and stabilize prices. With good intentions, he wanted to make milk more accessible to everyone, thus improving nutrition and realizing social equality.
So in 1793, a decree forcibly lowered the price of many staples, including milk. The price of milk was immediately lowered at the threat of Robespierre, and the people cheered, but the effect was the opposite of what was intended.
Soon after, the price of milk rose sharply, and the amount of milk produced plummeted.
What was the reason for this? We can easily conclude that the reason is quite obvious.
In economic terms, it's the result of a business that didn't break even and went out of business, and it's also an example of the paradox of regulation.
However, shouldn't we always be wary that no matter how good the intentions of leaders are, the outcome may be different?
Sometimes, even when we act with purely good intentions, we end up with bad consequences.
Some groups and individuals in our society may act in ways that seem good or seem to be for the good of others in order to further their own interests or for their own benefit or for political purposes.
These behaviors may look good and feel helpful on the surface, but they often have negative long-term consequences because their intentions are not pure.
That's why it's important to take the time to think about fairness and justice.
What is justice and what is fair?
Is it right to pursue the greatest happiness of the greatest number?
If I ask you, "Would you do something bad that causes material or physical harm to another person?" few people would say "yes".
But why do people end up acting contrary to their intentions?
Most of the time, it's because of a conflict between societal and personal interests.
Humans have a wide range of instinctual needs and desires.
Our basic needs are the ones we need to survive and can be satisfied to a certain extent.
However, it is also human nature to want something more once our basic needs are met.
So, in addition to basic needs such as food, humans have other needs such as honor, power, and water.
We say that humans are social animals.
As a social being who confirms his existence in society and fulfills his desires in relationship with others, human beings encounter numerous conflicts with others in the process of living their lives and experience conflicts between public and private interests. And we live in moments of choice.
Sometimes, the choices we make and actions we take with good intentions and good will end up harming others or causing conflicts, resulting in difficulties in human relationships. For example, if a politician uses populist policies to win an election and temporarily gains the support of the people, it can put a huge strain on the country's finances and cause an economic crisis..png)
Confusion, difficulties
On the other hand, there are cases where the intentions are bad but the results are good.
A company may start an environmental initiative to improve its image and increase its profits, and many people and companies join in, resulting in less pollution. In this case, even though the intention is very selfish, if the result has a positive impact on society, how can we evaluate the result?
In this situation, we need to be sober and objective.
It is very important to think and decide carefully because we cannot be sure that good intentions always bring good results.
Human beings are both good and evil.
In order to believe that humans are good, we must first believe that evil exists, which is the shadow of good.
As a social being who confirms his existence in society and fulfills his desires in relationship with others, human beings encounter numerous conflicts with others in the process of living their lives and experience conflicts between public and private interests. And we live in moments of choice.
Sometimes, the choices we make and actions we take with good intentions and good will end up harming others or causing conflicts, resulting in difficulties in human relationships. For example, if a politician uses populist policies to win an election and temporarily gains the support of the people, it can put a huge strain on the country's finances and cause an economic crisis.
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Isn't this what we're seeing now?
Confusion, difficulties
On the other hand, there are cases where the intentions are bad but the results are good.
A company may start an environmental initiative to improve its image and increase its profits, and many people and companies join in, resulting in less pollution. In this case, even though the intention is very selfish, if the result has a positive impact on society, how can we evaluate the result?
In this situation, we need to be sober and objective.
It is very important to think and decide carefully because we cannot be sure that good intentions always bring good results.
Human beings are both good and evil.
In order to believe that humans are good, we must first believe that evil exists, which is the shadow of good.
"The human being who believes himself to be perfectly good must always examine himself to see if he has not fallen into the idea of goodness."
In psychoanalytic terms,
those who are unable to accept the evil within themselves
are unable to recognize their own evil behavior, and therefore they constantly "project" their "distorted self-image" onto others.
In extreme cases, this psychological mechanism can lead to painful mental illness and the inability to form full social relationships with others.
That's why in a modern society where "everyone is a little bit abnormal" we need to examine our own good and evil.
In our relationships with others, we often observe that many actions with good intentions sometimes do not bring good results. Good results do not come from good intentions alone. Many things that seem good in the here and now are at our disposal.
For some, it's populism, and for others, it's a lifeline in their lives.
For many older people living in the present, these things can be helpful, but for younger people living in the future, they can bring difficulty and despair.
"Examine the river of conscience in your own heart."
You are only as good as your knowledge."
"Every nation has leaders who are worthy of their people."
It is time to change ourselves.
