The End Can Justify the Means—But Rarely” and “Why the end doesn’t justify the means, but the means can always justify the end Why the end doesn’t justify the means, but the means can always justify the end

Why the end does not justify the end, but the means always justify the end

Human nature tends to be results oriented. We can cope when a difficult, frustrating story has a happy ending. While there have been instances where games have been “ugly,” we love it when our favorite team wins. When conflict or peace is successfully achieved, it tends to gloss over some extremely difficult moments. However, we are taught from an early age to “do whatever it takes.” In other words, a favorable outcome is not really a good thing if dishonest or destructive practices are employed. When a team wins a crucial game, the result is spoiled – winning is a good thing – but by dishonest methods (perhaps inflating a football). Giving a gift to the unfortunate and at the same time stealing from someone else would be considered theft and contrary to an act of mercy. The basic gist of this adage is that there is only one thing that matters more than results. continue…