The Path of Least Resistance

There’s an expression that I sometimes hear:  Choose the harder right over the easier wrong.  The reason they call it the harder right is because doing the right thing usually requires more work than doing the wrong thing.  Work requires commitment.  Commitment requires a moral foundation which compels right action.

Now for those of you that think that’s way too abstract, let me tell my story.

I recently switched units.  It wasn’t a punitive transfer.  Indeed, they were sore about losing me.  I switched jobs, which meant switching units.  Anyway, as I was leaving, my First Sergeant (hereafter abbreviated as 1SG) was being investigated on a variety of sometimes ridiculous accusations.  In my opinion, it was a fishing expedition.  Once they exhausted one allegation, they went on to the next.  

1SG was generally unpopular with his unit, in spite of the tenacity with which he took care of his troops.  You see, 1SG required a lot from all of his soldiers.  Things which are generally not asked of junior enlisted and NCOs (sergeants) alike.  He made us all recite both the Soldier’s creed and the NCO creed at the weekly safety briefing.  He made soldiers and NCOs keep Leader’s Books.  He required all of his soldiers to compete at unit-level competitions.  He mandated Sergeant’s Time training every Thursday without exception.  He enforced military courtesy at all ranks.  

This was a lot of work extra work, as you might guess.  In my experience, it was more than is generally required of soldiers, both in our daily and additional duties.  

I was one of his platoon sergeants, and as such it was my job (on top of everything else I did) to enforce the 1SGs policies.  He and I butted heads quite a lot, not necessarily because we’re different, but because we’re similar.  We both make decisions quickly and easily.  We both have very clear ideas of how we want to do things.  And we’re both terribly stubborn.  We disagreed on many issues and sometimes got into heated arguments.  Oftentimes, I would go on and do my own thing, much to his frustration.  But he was the 1SG, and I ultimately acquiesced to his directives.  

Being stubborn and willful like I am, it’s not surprising that he rubbed people the wrong way.  1SG has less tact with officers than I do, which may explain why they all dislike him.  What ultimately happened was that they complained to his superiors, and the witch hunt (I use that term with great reservation.) began.  

1SG and I disagreed on many issues, but I understand him.  I understood why he made the decisions that he did, and I understand the moral underpinnings of those decisions.  1SG has an uncompromising moral standard.  He enjoys a very clear sense of right and wrong.  When he makes a decision, he believes without exception that it is the right decision.  As frustrating as it sometimes was to work for him, I can’t help but respect and admire him.  

In the course of the investigation against him, he was eventually relieved of his duties as 1SG.  I went back to visit the unit (I was shamming, I needed a break) after he’d been unceremoniously dumped.  Although I expected it, I was a little disappointed to see that morale had gone way up after he’d been replaced.  I mean way up.  The soldiers were almost euphoric.  I almost expected to hear “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” being sung in the hallways.    Even the NCOs were giddy at his termination.  People commented on how much easier it was now that 1SG was gone.  They didn’t have to keep up their Leader’s Books, they didn’t have to worry about competing, and they didn’t have to recite the creeds.  

What I think they all fail to understand is that these things were good for them.  They were good for the NCOs because such tasks brought them back to basics of junior leadership.  They were good for the soldiers who may become NCOs and have to mentor their own soldiers.  1SGs policies produced smarter, more competent, more disciplined soldiers.   And in general, they resented it.  

Why?  If it was good for them, why did they resist?  Why did they all rejoice when he lost his job?  What, you may be wondering, is wrong with pushing people out of their comfort zones in order to make them better?  The answer is this:  People tend to follow the path of least resistance.  Given a choice, people will do the minimum amount of work required to complete a task.  Given a choice, people might do nothing at all.  Let’s face it — most people are lazy.  Unless there is some reward or punishment power present, people will exert the minimum effort required in most tasks.  When forced to choose the harder right or easier wrong, most people will choose the latter. 

So without the prospect of reward or the threat of punishment, what makes people elect to do the right thing?  A moral standard.  One must place moral value in doing the right thing.  This inward compulsion, more than any external influence, spurs exceptional people to rise above their peers.  These people distinguish themselves from the throng.  They rise up and establish themselves as the standard.  

But the only place where there is room for everyone is at the bottom.  It’s easier to knock down people than it is to climb up to their level.  Such was the case with 1SG.  For his unflinching integrity, he was ultimately persecuted.  

His former soldiers have forgotten that he fought for them, defended them, sometimes even protected them from their own mistakes.  They don’t think about the battles 1SG waged on their behalf, the numerous occasions he was there to help them, to bail them out, to give them a hand.  They don’t consider that all the extra work he made them do actually benefitted them.  All they seem to consider now is how much easier it is nowadays.  

How sad.  How typical.