Goodness in the Wrong Place Becomes Evil. Evil in the Right Place Becomes Good
Last updated: October 21, 2025 Read in fullscreen view
Recommended for you
- 02 Nov 2023
Unlocking Success with The Amoeba Management Model: Key Lessons, Pros & Cons, and Finding the Perfect Fit 160/687 - 10 Nov 2021 5S methodology - the SECRET to Japanese SUCCESS 134/1726
- 09 Sep 2022 Kaizen, Kaikaku and Kakushin – what’s the difference? 82/2897
- 24 Nov 2022 Genba Genbutsu Genjitsu (3Gs), (Go to the Genba & see for yourself!) 69/2904
- 01 Dec 2023 What is Amoeba Management? 59/897
- 01 Apr 2022 Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram in software project management 37/3034
- 15 Apr 2022 Total Quality Management (TQM) - Japanese-style management approach to quality improvement. 17/628
- 17 Mar 2023 Reduce waste in software development with 3M model: Muda, Mura, Muri 17/860
- 04 Mar 2024 Tree Ring Management: Take the Long Term View and Grow Your Business Slowly 15/374
- 27 Aug 2022 Kaizen - Culture of Continuous Improvement and Lean Thinking 13/705
- 09 Sep 2022 What is 5 Whys (Five Whys)? 12/861
- 13 Jul 2022 Applying the business mantra "HORENSO" to Achieve 360-degree Communication 12/813
- 02 Feb 2022 Yokoten: Best Practice Sharing from a success 12/1284
- 03 Jan 2024 What is the Ringi process? 12/876
- 12 Dec 2024 Danshari: A Japanese Minimalist Philosophy for Cleaner Code and Leaner IT Operations 10/22
- 01 Mar 2022 The Toyota Way Management Principles 10/682
- 29 Aug 2022 Difference between Kaizen and Innovation 9/793
- 15 Jul 2022 Hansei Methodology: Continuously Engaging People in Improvement 8/646
- 19 Sep 2022 Jidoka in Software Development and Odoo ERP/MRP 5/466
- 06 Jun 2022 HEIJUNKA: The art of leveling production 4/481
- 01 Jan 2024 6 Japanese Life Principles That Quietly Transform You 3/22
- 05 Feb 2024 Ego and Attachment: Simplify Your Life Today 3/190
- 12 May 2024 The Pros and Cons of the Creator Economy in the Age of AI: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Gray Zone with the Gig Economy 3/231
- 07 Mar 2023 Japan’s Unusual Farming Strategy: Renting Land and Leaving It Fallow for 5 Years — Here’s the Truth… 2/31
- 01 Jan 2023 How To Use Poka-Yoke (Mistake Proofing) Technique To Improve Software Quality 2/589
- 23 May 2024 Mastering AI: Sharpening the Axe in the Digital Age 1/182
- 03 Feb 2024 "Kham Nhẫn" in Business: A Guide to Patience and Resilience 1/149
- 03 Feb 2024 "Kham Nhẫn" in Business: A Guide to Patience and Resilience 1/149
- 18 Sep 2024 11 Psychological Defense Mechanisms and How to Recognize Them 1/163
- 01 Jul 2025 Southeast Asia Faces a Surge of “Fake AI Startups” /50
- 18 Oct 2024 The Dark Side of Japan’s Work Culture /7
- 12 Mar 2022 The u-Japan concept /234
- 01 Jun 2020 Japan Business Review (JBR) /277
A bowl of rice creates a benefactor, but a bushel of grain creates an enemy — the old saying never lies.
Don’t be too eager to pour out your whole heart.
Keep a little pride and compassion for yourself.
Remember, the coldest thing in the world is the human heart.”
Back then, I didn’t believe such things could happen.
If I helped someone, I would give my all — what could go wrong with that?
But as time passed, I met many people who made me truly understand the words “I never expected that.”
Yes, I helped them, treated them well whenever they asked for support.
My intentions were pure.
But the third or fourth time I refused, they turned against me, blaming me as if I had betrayed them.
Wait — was that ever my obligation? How absurd!
Yet when they did something for me, they calculated every gain and loss, weighing every little thing.
How disappointing, how bitterly ironic.
“Years spent building a temple — no one remembers.
One broken brick — the whole village knows.”
A great entrepreneur once uttered this verse when his life’s work collapsed overnight due to a single mistake, while his years of dedication were forgotten.
When you help someone, do it wisely.
Give them the fishing rod, not the fish.
Teach them to stand on their own, not to depend on you forever.
Giving is noble — but kindness must be placed in the right context.
There are people who exploit our goodness for selfish or even evil ends.
Kindness, though beautiful, can turn into a sharp blade that stabs our own heart if given to the wrong person.
And it hurts — deeply.
That’s why the old saying still stands:
“Goodness in the wrong place becomes evil.
Evil in the right place becomes goodness.”
- Confucius once said: “Human nature is inherently good.”
- Xunzi countered: “Human nature is inherently evil; goodness is learned and cultivated.”
- Sigmund Freud observed: “Humans are more moral than we think — yet also more immoral than we imagine.”
Were the Japanese militarists evil? Were the German Nazis evil?
Undeniably — yes.
But their evil was stopped by the U.S. and its allies, because it had gone beyond what the world could bear.
After that darkness was destroyed, both nations rebuilt themselves.
Japan and Germany became two of the most disciplined societies on Earth — their workplaces are among the most professional and exacting in the world. Today, 80% of the world’s high-quality products come from these two nations — which together make up only 20% of the globe.
Once labeled as history’s greatest villains, Japan and Germany are now among the most developed and generous contributors to global progress.
Their goodness is recognized and deeply appreciated by all humanity.
In other words — good and evil can transform into one another.
The Japanese and the Germans inherited discipline from their ancestors — from the spirit of the Samurai, from centuries of structured, principled living. Their descendants now thrive in a culture of order and precision — a society organized, strong, and united — like a pack of wolves.
Explore more on these topics
Guest Blogging: The Definitive Guide
Top Trending Topics
Share This
Link copied!
