“If there is a huge whirlpool where all who enter will die, do not get close and hope to not get sucked in. Stay clear away.”  ~ Charlie Munger

Everyone faces temptations that are destructive. The lure of these temptations can be amplified if others are encouraging your participation. For example, you’re married, have a family, and your buddies are headed to the strip club and want you to go with them. Run! Absolutely nothing good can possibly come from participating. 

The pain from different negative outcomes is immeasurable. There will always be the opportunities for ethical lapses and poor decisions. Make a conscious effort to stay on the moral high ground. Don’t even get close to the line. When in doubt, just ask how you would feel if your decision was made public for your family and friends to see. We all have tendencies towards things that are self-destructive. Just apply the whirlpool example, avoid the dumb decisions, and you’ll end up closer to the life you want. Remember, a lifetime’s worth of work can be undone with a single dumb decision. Avoid destructive impulses and perverse incentives – no exceptions.

“No one can harm you but yourself.”  ~ Gandhi