No Double Standards

Sir Richard Dobson is a successful industrialist in England. He was the Chairman of British American Tobacco for thirty one years, and Chairman of British Leyland for one year. British Leyland is well known for manufacturing double decker buses. Sir Richard Dobson lives in Marchmont Road, Richmond, a posh area of London. This is a very quiet road and only billionaires reside there. Once a road in the Richmond area needed repair, so that bus number 65 which plied on this road, had to be diverted temporarily to Marchmont Road. Sir Richard Dobson, with his very grand house, disliked the bus passing in front of his home and he particularly objected to its emitting exhaust fumes. The Guardian quotes his letter of protest which he had published in a London newspaper:

“The smell of diesel fuel alone is an affront and a health hazard.”

Sir Richard Dobson ran businesses based on cigarettes and buses. Both emit smoke and pollute the air. Throughout, he was engaged in the smoke business. He did not realize the harmful effect of this smoke when it was reaching others’ houses but when it happened to reach his house, he became greatly agitated. Everyone sets different standards for himself and for others and, without any doubt that is the greatest weakness of human beings.

A high moral character requires that we set the same standards for ourselves as we do for others.