There’s a narrow thread between wisdom and sharpness in everyday business matters. Yet as priggish as they are, curiously we learn the guiding rules at a young age.  Probably because a prepubescent softball game harbours the identical rivalry and native depravity that unwittingly invades and threatens adulthood. The equally unsatisfactory conclusion is that age is not of itself a limitation or improvement of one’s childish behaviour. Frankly I am inclined instead to presume that the character of a man is made from those early days on the pitch. The transition of time only perfects or modifies the initial allure.

To be clear longevity – except in the instance of mythical accounts – has never been a sovereign remedy for degeneracy. It is no accident that so often records of moral impoverishment are aligned with the candidate’s youth. The persuasion to surmount the purely visceral and personal advantage of conduct is a life-long application, marked by occasions of misstep, apology and remorse – or, alternatively, preferring the adage that, “The best mask for a treacherous heart is an honest face!”

Between the two extremes – honesty and policy – there is a shallow river of study and practice. Getting across that river is not an especial challenge but it invokes the need for unfettered decision and ambition. The separation of cleverness and canniness is itself open to a wide breadth of interpretation. It is not however interpretation that ultimately governs one’s conduct; rather it is the elemental conviction that causes one’s innards to convulse.

Good behaviour refers to conduct that is polite, respectful, and conforms to expected social, moral, or legal standards. It signifies acting in a responsible and orderly manner, often implying adherence to rules or ethical principles, and can be rewarded with positive outcomes.

There is no need to hypothesize upon the codes of ethics that infiltrate one’s mind. Within that bipolar spectrum there is room for both education and accommodation – your choice.  The funny thing is that we instinctively know which is the proper arrangement of stones upon which to tread. I shouldn’t have to say it, but business is a 2-way street which means, even if you overlook your selfish predilections, there is, located on another route, a mutually beneficial association and double reward – not only a candid venture but a pleasant one. The combination is ideal; two parties, each with his own gratification. These commendable business relationships are the result of simple dedication to simple rules. There is no need for hyperbole or kettle drums. It’s something a child can imagine!