Good Advice
Any medical technician who
has had to take a blood
sample will agree: blood really
is thicker than water. And if
you’ve ever used this saying,
you know that it figuratively
refers to the bond of family
being stronger than any
bond you can choose to
form outside. It makes for
a great toast at grand family
reunions when the spirit of
solidarity is in the air, but in
many other contexts, saying
blood is thicker than water
does not always bode well.
Ask any family member who
has ever been pressured
with this saying, and he or
she will most likely agree.
Why? Because it pushes us to
prioritize our blood relations
at all costs, no matter the
situation.Think about it: Have you
(or someone you know)
ever felt pressured to
hire an irresponsible and
unqualified family member
over a qualified applicant, just
because said relative needs
the money? Or have you been
forced to side with a familymember in an argument
when he or she did something
iffy—just because the
opponent was an “outsider”?
Even with everyday issues,
the urge might be to defend
a relation—and blame the
outsider—even if it turns
out that the family member
is actually in the wrong—
or in a gray area.On the surface, doing this
might seem like a solid
show of support for family.
But in the long run, the
negative repercussions willbegin to manifest, simply
because always bailing
out or siding with relatives
does not teach them to
step up, act better, or
be accountable. Don’t get
us wrong, we respect the
importance of kinship. But
instead of emphasizing a
blood bond, why not develop
familial relationships that
are built on respect and
responsibility as well? This
way there won’t even be a
need to pull out the shared
DNA card in the first place.BLOOD IS
THICK ER
THAN WATER
...but what if someone else is more deserving?