Pragmatism versus principleism. This eternal debate rages unabated. Should you do the smart thing or—in the event of extreme divergence, as is so often the case in day-to-day life—should you do the RIGHT thing? Honestly, every circumstance is different, ergo you have as many “correct” answers to this query as there are circumstances to consider. But as a general rule, if no one is being egregiously wounded or offended by a projected action of yours, opt for the pragmatic route. Principled actions obviously stand on rock-solid moral ground and make one’s conscience feel warm and tingly, but they don’t put food on the table nor do they protect one’s offspring from the wolf at the door nor do they yield bountiful crops of amber waves of grain where lowly rapeseed has previously been sown. Pragmatic actions oftentimes accomplish these objectives in an admittedly dirty, disreputable sort of way, therefore they should be habitually respected and even—Gasp!—revered.
Fred's Soapbox 