Bonuses

Tell me if I have it wrong. If I don’t understand, please explain to me as well where I have it wrong.

On the television show, Wheel of Fortune, there is a bonus round. In order to get to it, you have to win the regular competition against two other opponents. Every quiz program I have watched in my life is like this.

Then why, oh why, are the executives of companies that are being bailed out by governments still receiving their bonuses? Isn’t a bonus supposed to be a reward for doing something right? They have driven their operations, often irresponsibly, into difficult times. The way I figure, I could have done the same quite nicely at half the salary. I also wouldn’t have expected a bonus.

Isn’t that the way we are today, though? We are so afraid of messing up somebody’s mind psychologically. We pretend somebody is doing well when he isn’t. Our education system certainly reflects this. Nobody has to repeat a grade anymore. The result is some students don’t exert any effort because there are no consequences for failing.

I have fallen on my face many times in life. I have also learned a great deal from each episode. While there may have been some scars along the way, I prefer to look at them as battle wounds – memories of lessons learned. Yes, I would have preferred to have not screwed up from time to time. I can still look at my life with pride and say that each time I have picked myself up and have grown from the experience.

What I would never expect when I make a big mistake is to be rewarded for it. That would be a big joke. It would also make me wonder if I might be even better off making more gaffes with even greater compensation.

I almost feel guilty writing today’s blog. It really isn’t that clever. I’m not really saying very much that many others aren’t thinking. My hope is that those who are receiving these bonuses for failure have some sort of a conscience and won’t accept the money. Somehow I doubt it. That’s sad, but it is a good commentary on life today. We have become such a tolerant society. We even tolerate the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer.