Reader Submission: Before Exposing Others, Take a Look at Yourself Lately, it seems like every single day there's someone online exposing so-called "shady companies" or "shady bosses." Some expose unpaid wages, some expose performance pressure, and others expose all kinds of problems they've run into at their companies. But I keep coming back to one question: before exposing others, has anyone seriously stopped to think about whether they themselves might also be part of the problem? Why did you come here in the first place? What were the rules you agreed on before you started working? Have you met your performance targets? Have you done what you were supposed to do? Have you created the value you were expected to create for the company? And the things you promised—did you actually follow through? If you haven't even seriously thought through these questions yourself, and you just dump all the blame on the company and start exposing this and exposing that, then at the very least, I think you should lay out the full story first. Of course, I'm not saying all companies are in the right. If a company genuinely withholds wages despite targets being met, maliciously docks pay, deceives employees, restricts personal freedom, or even commits violent or other illegal acts, then seeking legal recourse, preserving evidence, and reporting to the relevant authorities is a completely different matter. But some people conflate "I didn't fulfill my end of the agreement" with "the company broke the law," and that's worth reflecting on too. As adults, before making any choice, we should know what we're doing. Nobody forced you to go abroad, nobody forced you to go to Southeast Asia, and nobody held a knife to your throat to make you take a particular job. You saw the high pay, high commissions, high returns, and you made your choice. You thought money was easy here, so you came. You wanted to earn in a short time what others take years or even over a decade to earn, so you came. Since it was your choice, you should bear the consequences of that choice. Wanting to make big money while also wanting to lie back and earn effortlessly—where in the world does such a good deal exist? Behind any high return lies higher risk, greater pressure, and higher demands. Once you've chosen, see your path through. Once you've promised, do your best to deliver. Once you've signed an agreement, honor it. The most basic responsibility of an adult is to own the choices they make. Of course, this doesn't mean people who suffer illegal harm should just "tough it out." If you genuinely encounter criminal or illegal behavior, report it to the police, gather evidence, and defend your rights. But if it's simply because you didn't meet your work goals or agreed-upon targets, and you end up packaging the whole thing as a "shady company"—or even using exposure to pressure the company and extort money—then the nature of the situation is completely different. Some people, in particular, aren't exposing things to reclaim their lawful rights, but are using exposure as a tool: if you don't pay me, I'll post it; if you don't resolve this for me, I'll get you trending. If the facts are true, seeking legal recourse is fine. But if someone uses so-called "exposure" to commit extortion, they should likewise bear the corresponding legal responsibility. So I think whether you're a company or an individual, you should focus on doing your own part well. A company can't break the law just because an employee didn't meet their targets, and certainly can't violate an employee's personal or property rights. Likewise, an employee can't dump all the blame on the company just because they didn't fulfill their agreement, and certainly can't use online public opinion to maliciously spread rumors or extort. In this world, the most important thing comes down to one word: responsibility. Be responsible for your choices, your promises, and your actions. Don't just look for someone else to blame when things go wrong—you should also look down and honestly examine what you yourself have done. Finally, this isn't aimed at any specific person, nor does it represent any particular company. I just want to share my own view: brothers in Southeast Asia, since you've chosen to go out and make your way, then buckle down and do your own thing well. Earn what you should earn through your own ability, and take on the responsibilities you should bear. I hope everyone stays safe and sound, and earns money through their own capabilities. And happy National Day to everyone—may all the brothers in Southeast Asia make a fortune.
