The easy way may get you ahead. But the right way gets you home
In a world full of masks, being real is the most radical thing you can be
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
When Doing the Right Thing Hurts
At first glance, life appears to be a series of choices—what to eat, where to go, who to become. But when we peel back the layers, we realize that life is less about choices of preference and more about choices of principle. Every person, at some point, finds themselves standing at a fork in the road—one path lined with comfort, applause, and personal gain, the other with resistance, risk, and an often lonely kind of righteousness.
It’s easier to stay silent than to speak up. It’s easier to look away than to intervene. It’s easier to follow the crowd than to walk alone. But history—both personal and collective—remembers not the ones who did what was easy, but those who did what was right.
This article is an exploration of those difficult choices: the invisible inner battles where we must choose between what is right and what is easy. Through real-life stories, moral reflection, cultural context, and psychological insights, it urges us to ask: In a world obsessed with shortcuts, what does it mean to take the longer, harder, nobler road?
The Universal Dilemma: Right vs. Easy
Across every culture, religion, and society, there exists a common moral thread: the idea that doing what is right is often not what is most convenient. Ancient scriptures, modern laws, philosophical texts, and even children’s fables carry the same message—truth requires courage, and integrity demands sacrifice.
So why do people still so often choose the easy way out?
Because the easy path promises speed, safety, and acceptance. The right path often leads to discomfort, delay, and disapproval. It’s the student who refuses to cheat and fails, the employee who refuses to bribe and loses the contract, the friend who tells the truth and ruins a relationship.
Psychologists call this the cognitive cost of ethical decision-making—the mental and emotional effort required to resist the temptations of expediency, fear, and self-preservation. We are, in many ways, wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Choosing right over easy is a defiance of that wiring—it’s a conscious, often painful evolution of character.
The Micro-Moments That Define Us
Most people assume moral courage is only required in life-altering situations: saving someone’s life, exposing a scandal, or standing up to systemic injustice. But in truth, the opportunities to choose right over easy are present in the micro-moments of daily life.
- You’re late for work. It’s easy to lie and say traffic was bad. It’s harder to admit you overslept.
- You’re filling out a tax form. It’s easy to fudge the numbers. It’s harder to pay the full amount.
- You overhear a racist joke in a gathering. It’s easy to laugh along or stay silent. It’s harder to speak out.
Each of these decisions may seem small, but collectively, they build—or erode—our moral identity. Character is not built in grand gestures, but in silent, unseen choices when no one is watching.
Real Lives, Real Choices: When Right Came with a Price
Let us look at some compelling real-life examples of people who chose the difficult path—not because it was rewarding, but because it was right.
- Dr. Zafar (Pakistan): The Whistleblower in White Coat
A respected physician in Karachi, Dr. Zafar discovered that his hospital administration was using expired medical supplies in underfunded wards while billing patients as if they were brand new. Exposing this malpractice could cost him his job—or worse, his safety. But Dr. Zafar took the risk. He submitted evidence to health authorities and media outlets, facing months of isolation, departmental inquiries, and threats.
Eventually, after public pressure, the hospital was forced to reform. Dr. Zafar’s career suffered, but his conscience remained unblemished. Years later, he said, “I may have lost promotions, but I sleep better than anyone in that building.”
- Rosa Parks (USA): The Woman Who Refused to Move
In 1955, Rosa Parks, a Black woman in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. That simple act—physically easy but morally profound—sparked the American civil rights movement. She didn’t shout or protest; she simply chose dignity over compliance. Her act reminds us that choosing right over easy doesn’t always look loud or dramatic. Sometimes, it is stillness that shakes empires.
- Fatima (Sindh): The Girl Who Reported Her Teacher
In a rural school in Sindh, a 14-year-old girl named Fatima noticed her math teacher regularly asked female students to stay back under false pretenses. She tried to ignore it, fearing backlash. But when a classmate stopped attending school due to trauma, Fatima wrote an anonymous letter to the headmistress. The case was investigated, and the teacher was removed. Her classmates treated her with suspicion, and some parents withdrew their daughters.
Fatima’s own father said, “You did the right thing, even if others don’t see it now. One day they will.”
The Social Cost of Righteousness
Choosing the right thing isn’t just hard—it’s lonely. People who take the moral high ground are often labeled as troublemakers, idealists, or naive. They may be alienated at work, shunned by peers, or even punished by systems built on silence and complicity.
This is particularly true in hierarchical societies where power dynamics, family honor, and community reputation often outweigh individual morality. In many such settings, truth is discouraged not because it’s false, but because it’s inconvenient.
Think of the woman who reports domestic abuse in a conservative family. Or the student who refuses to pay for leaked exam papers. Or the employee who stands against workplace harassment. Each of them risks becoming an outcast—not because they are wrong, but because they are right too soon for the comfort of others.
Religion, Ethics, and Culture: Timeless Advocates of Right Action
Every major religious and philosophical tradition emphasizes the value of truth, justice, and moral courage.
- Islam teaches that “The best form of Jihad is to speak the truth before a tyrant ruler.”
- Hinduism’s Bhagavad Gita urges doing one’s duty, even if it brings hardship.
- Christianity honors the Sermon on the Mount, which blesses the persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
- Sufi mystics often spoke of inner battles—where the real ‘jihad’ was against the ego and fear.
Cultural proverbs across the world reinforce this. In Sindhi, we say:
“سچ جو ساٿ وٺڻ سولو ناهي، پر اهو ئي سڀ کان اوچو رستو آهي”
(“Walking with truth is not easy, but it is the highest path.”)
Why Choosing Right Matters Now More Than Ever
In today’s hyperconnected, high-speed world, moral shortcuts are increasingly normalized. Social media often rewards outrage over honesty. In politics, those who lie well win votes. In business, those who manipulate data attract investors. In everyday life, those who flatter instead of confront are seen as smarter.
But this erosion of ethics has consequences. Trust declines. Institutions decay. People lose faith—not just in others, but in themselves.
Choosing right over easy is not just a personal virtue—it’s a social necessity. It rebuilds what society desperately needs: trust, accountability, and meaning. One ethical person in a broken system may not change everything, but they become a light for others.
How to Build a Life that Chooses Right Over Easy
- Reflect before Reacting
Take a pause. Ask: “What would I do if no one were watching?” That single question can change the trajectory of your decision.
- Know Your Values
Write down the principles that matter to you. Truth? Justice? Compassion? Let them guide your choices when the going gets tough.
- Practice Daily Honesty
Start with the small things—returning extra change, correcting a mistake, admitting when you’re wrong.
- Surround Yourself with Integrity
Keep friends and mentors who call you out and call you higher. It’s easier to choose right when others do the same.
- Prepare for Sacrifice
The right path often costs something: money, friends, reputation. Accept that as part of the package—not as punishment, but as proof.
- Teach the Next Generation
Children learn not from speeches, but from watching adults navigate difficulty. Show them what courage looks like.
The Quiet Revolution of Moral Courage
There is a reason why people who speak the truth, even when it costs them everything, are remembered across generations. They remind us that the soul is stronger than systems, that conscience is louder than applause, and that doing the right thing is not an act of heroism—it’s an act of humanity.
Choosing the right over the easy will not always make you popular. It may not make you rich. It may not even make you safe. But it will make you real.
And in a world full of masks, being real is the most radical thing you can be.
So when the moment comes—because it will—when you’re tempted to take the shortcut, to stay silent, to avoid the discomfort… remember this: The easy way may get you ahead. But the right way gets you home.
Read – More Than Miles: Learning from Traveling
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
