I picked up the spirit of two lines from Jim’s prompt piece.
- We are in a stage of moral transition.
- Why have a moral compass when one can drift along and see where life takes us?
So, here is a story where the protagonist plays the Devil’s Advocate.
Rajiv Menon worked in a gleaming glass tower in Bengaluru, where every corridor echoed with words like integrity, values, and moral compass. Posters on the walls showed compasses pointing north, urging employees to “stay true.”
But Rajiv had a different creed.
“We are all in a stage of moral transition,” his manager said during a workshop, holding up a brass compass as a prop.
Rajiv smiled. “Why have a moral compass when you can drift along and see where life takes us?”
The room fell silent.
To Rajiv, life was not a map but a river. A compass could only point, but rivers flowed, twisted, and carved new paths. In the corporate river, rules were rocks—sometimes you had to push past them, sometimes you had to ride the current around them.
He remembered a project where deadlines loomed like storm clouds. Instead of following the “ethical process,” Rajiv quietly hired a freelancer outside company policy. The work was done, the client was delighted, and the company profited. The compass would have said no. The river said yes.
His colleagues argued: “But without a compass, how do we know right from wrong?”
Rajiv replied, “Right and wrong are banks of the river. Too rigid, and you crash against them. Drift, and you discover new shores.”
That evening, as the workshop ended, everyone wrote down their guiding principle. Rajiv’s note was simple:
“Opportunism is the new morality. The river decides.”
And as he walked out of the glass tower, he felt the current carrying him—not bound by north or south, but free to follow wherever the waters led.
Creative Experiments and More 
Interesting concept. But I think a moral compass overcomes the river. The rock is sturdy and true, unyielding, the river meanders endlessly, with no discernible path.
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The river and rock are just metaphors for what we see in life. I rarely see a rock achieving material success in real life, despite the value they add to themselves and others. Look what’s happening at Jantar-Mantar.
Thank you, Khadija!
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Interesting story. I think that sometimes being too rigid can become self-harming but again it should not be at the cost of ethics.
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This dilemma will always exist.
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Nice story, Reena and I loved how Rajiv’s navigational ethics shifted away from rigid, absolute moral frameworks and toward radical adaptability.
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Do you see this as middle ground or an extreme stance?
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In business you need to make a profit and since nobody was harmed, I am fine with this.
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A very great story where sometimes we have to break the rules in creative ways. I like how you compared this to a river current carving new paths. 👍
Have a wonderful day and weekend ! ☺️
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Thank you, Aptivi!
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My pleasure, Reena! I always enjoy reading your awesome posts; they make my day everyday ☺️
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I like the cheer you bring 😍
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Thanks! 😍 Have a wonderful day
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