A long time ago, I wrote about thinking about what makes people do what
they do. This has occupied me a lot since then, and I believe this is good.
People react differently under different circumstances, and sometimes even
the people who you thought you knew well act in surprising ways when faced
with unusual circumstances.
  This is a troublesome aspect of human behaviour. Almost anyone can be made
to do almost anything under certain circumstances. People who would normally
never dream of doing certain things can be motivated to do them if they feel
they have to. A typical middle-class citizen would probably not steal
merchandise from a store, for example, but if they were to suddenly lose all
their money and possessions, after a few weeks of being homeless and hungry
they might be motivated to do almost anything to live, even if just a few
weeks ago they would have sworn that under no circumstances would they ever
steal anything.
  This is a big problem in today's world, where circumstances are often so
distressing that many people are inclined to do things they would normally
not do. Almost everyone has their breaking point, or as the saying goes,
"Everyone has their price". With enough money (or something else to lose) at
risk, or with the possibility of enough money (or something else to gain) to
attain, people start to do strange things. You, too, should think about this;
What would it take to make you do the things you think you would never do?
You are a human, and even if you feel that you are a decent person now, there
will come a time when you are tempted. Do not believe that this is not so,
for no person can live a lifetime without being tempted, at one time or
another, to sacrifice principle for spectacular gain, or when desperate,
merely a chance to live.
  People are erratic and irrational. You are too. Even if you feel that you
are not, you just haven't been given a real chance to be. Before the time
comes, it might be good to think about this beforehand, and keep in mind what
motivates you and what it will take for you to do something.