Actions and Consequences

It's called cause and effect. All courses of actions will have their correspnding consequences. Some called it karma. Forgiveness begets forgiveness. Kindness begets kindness. Hatred breeds hatred. Revenge breeds revenge.

What you do, it will be passed on. What goes around comes around.

Some people just enver be ableto comprehend this fact. Their actions seem to be done out of reflex rather than through careful and thorough considerations. To put it crudely and colloquially, their thoughts don't pass through their brains before being carried out. They fail to realise the possible impacts their decisions and actions will have on those who surround them, and sometimes, even on themselves.

I understand that some people are merely doing their job. however, they need not always follow the books. Between professionalism and appeasement, I think the latter would ensure a more successful and smooth-sailing career/time in the army.

In the army where people live with each other, where people see each other almost on the daily basis, where the platoon is tightly-bonded, where the community is closely-knitted, being a people's person is important. Going by the books all the time will never earn you respect. You have to be flexible, know how to bend the rules -- but of course not to extreme and ridiculous extend -- so that people will like you.

Gaining popularity is your first step of gaining respect.

You can be "anal" for all you want. Your men under your charge most probably would still follow your orders. But would you be bale to garner their loyalty and their respect?

You can argue that by being "anal" and follow strictly by the books, you are merely doing your job, but are you sure that at the end of the day, your job will be well done?

"Anal" begets "anal". It will come back to haunt you. Your inflexibility will come back to haunt you.

Don't pretend to be so idealistic and self-righteous. That's just naive. most of us are after all NSFs. We are all in this together -- performing our mandatory two years duty of National Service -- so why make it hard for everybody? Afterall, there's this much you can progess and climb up during your two years stint in the army. You are just a serviceman. At the end of this two-year journey, it's all back to equal.

And when you start university, it is when all your past sins will come back to haunt you.

Cause and effect. Karma.