The straight and narrow?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="a">a</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="walked">walked</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span>”, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Oh">Oh</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span>. <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="tired">tired</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="bureaucrats">bureaucrats</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="at">at</span> 9 <span word="and">and</span> <span word="leave">leave</span> <span word="at">at</span> 5, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ordered">ordered</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="occasionally">occasionally</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ordered">ordered</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fun">fun</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="with">with</span>.</p><p><span word="However">However</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ordered">ordered</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="sums">sums</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span> “<span word="who">who</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="walked">walked</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span>.”</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="freely">freely</span> <span word="admit">admit</span>, <span word="interpreting">interpreting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span> <span word="sense">sense</span> <span word="regarding">regarding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="does">does</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="follow">follow</span> <span word="orders">orders</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="above">above</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="does">does</span>... <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fill">fill</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="blank">blank</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> <span word="here">here</span> – <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="ten">ten</span> <span word="seconds">seconds</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="creative">creative</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="exciting">exciting</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="bureaucrats">bureaucrats</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="up">up</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> “<span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="narrow">narrow</span>” <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bureaucrat">bureaucrat</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="upright">upright</span>, <span word="morally">morally</span> <span word="sound">sound</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="follows">follows</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conventional">conventional</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="law">law</span>-<span word="abiding">abiding</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="follows">follows</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laws">laws</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="large">large</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="toe">toe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="line">line</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="correct">correct</span> <span word="line">line</span>, <span word="carefully">carefully</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="stray">stray</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="it">it</span> – <span word="not">not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="orders">orders</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="moral">moral</span> <span word="perspective">perspective</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="morals">morals</span>.</p>
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