«Where do they come from?» On the origins of those for whom the law is not written.

Today, as the country is once again rocked by corruption scandals, people are asking themselves: “Where do these kinds of people come from?”

Why do people exist who completely disregard laws and moral norms? Why do they end up in leadership positions, deciding the fates of others, controlling resources and opportunities—and always for their own benefit, not for the people?

There are three key reasons:

• a family that raises a “center of the universe”;
• a specific social circle;
• negative selection, where those who rise to the top are not the most worthy, but the most shameless, loud, and visible—those who offer quick and easy solutions.

So, the first factor is the family, where the core of such a personality is formed. Here, the child is forgiven for absolutely everything; every action is justified. The child is the main person in the family, and everyone else strives to serve their needs and whims. The parents are completely uncritical of the child’s behavior; they see no problems or mistakes—and therefore do not correct them. Instead of teaching the child to solve problems, they replace the development of social skills with their own omnipotence—Mom and Dad will “fix everything.”

Parents are often aggressive toward society and its representatives who try to point out their child’s flaws. If the child is selfish, capricious, cruel, vengeful, cunning, or manipulative, none of this will be heard, or it will be met with an angry reaction. As a result, a person grows up who believes “anything is allowed,” because at home, it always was—without any moral brakes or restraints, acting however they please, simply because they want to and can. In other words, a person dangerous to society is raised, though the parents may not yet realize that, sooner or later, this will affect them too.

When such a child grows up, life can harshly “ground” them, because the permissiveness they enjoyed at home is unacceptable anywhere else.

But it can also go differently: parents “with connections” provide their child with a social elevator, backed by financial means, and suddenly, they are at the “top of the food chain.” To the surprise and misfortune of those around them, their fate now rests in the hands of an immature and morally corrupted person who, from an early age, has been taught to divide people into “categories,” always placing themselves in the highest one.

The second factor is a certain environment that deforms a person, distorting their values. This could be friends with a harmful influence, or it could be colleagues, a professional environment, or the so-called “system,” which either breaks you, pushes you out, or makes you part of itself. This explains the seemingly paradoxical cases where a person starts life as decent, with a desire for justice, but gradually transforms into something completely opposite: a cynical, unprincipled individual, because others in the “system” simply do not survive.

The third factor is societal: people are prone to easily believing in simple solutions and promises, paying attention to the loudest and most visible—those who offer quick success without effort or responsibility. People tend to grasp at straws in times of danger, without examining who is offering them. And so, these are the individuals who usually win elections, seize the largest resources, and secure the best opportunities. They feel like the masters of life and behave accordingly.

Life, however, often laughs at them, allowing them to rise high—because the higher you climb, the more painful the fall. And sometimes, life turns the wheel of justice in the next generation—through their children. This happens with particularly inadequate individuals who never learn their lessons firsthand.

What can we all do to ensure that these “flowers of life” do not end up at the top? That they do not cause harm with their incompetence and ignorance, multiplied by arrogance and lack of principles?

There is only one way—think critically. And, in general, bother to think.

Choose your social circle critically.
Make life choices—and there are so many of them—by analyzing events, their causes, and consequences, not emotions.
Do not elect to power people you know nothing about, people with unclear or shady pasts, questionable social circles, or a reputation for dishonesty or unprofessionalism.
Take the time to find out information, dig deeper, and analyze.
Do not fall for manipulation—and to do this, it is worth raising your own level of culture and awareness. Only then will they have minimal chances.

And isn’t that the least we can do?