I hope to have more traveling experience to broaden my perspective. From the outside looking in, it does seem to me certain cultural perspectives on morality in third-world countries are skewed. Could it be because the source of moral truth most people think of ("law" provided by government) is so completely corrupted that cheating someone else is the only way to get ahead? If those who set "the rules" cheat more than anyone else, what is incentivized other than becoming a better rule breaker than the next guy? To me, it's all game theory and it relates to Maslow's Hierarchy as well (more on that here). I agree, if we can't raise people up the hierarchy enough to see (though self-actualization) the benefits to themselves and others by acting ethically... well. yeah. It becomes a vicious cycle downwards.
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Sounds about right. I have often said that it is a vicious cycle with people stuck in an endless rat race. If you recall, I had even done a post, couple of months back, on trying to break free by imbibing values (a reverse Manslow pyramid theory) first over and above the needs of day to day survival. You had disagreed and said that it seems like first world thinking. I have been talking to people in Africa and India after that and found that, day to day survival does take precedence in everyone's mind but people are beginning to question being stuck in the same rut, day in and day out. I have a feeling that, some clean and charismatic leaders may be able to bring about a viewpoint change. Sounds very Utopian as I say it but hope and support is all I can do. There are many questions that stare us in the face and we find it amazing that no one does anything about it when logically, answers should be obvious. For example, I wrote about the cost of peace and world hunger in my recent post - seems very simplistic if someone wants to implement the solution but it is always like the story of 4 brothers - The Story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody! (I am including myself in the lot who talks and does not do much! Am trying to change that. Let us see) :)