The easy thing versus the right thing

"There are only two kinds of people in the twenty-first century," Singer turned environmental activist Lowell Lo said when he was recently interviewed by a local magazine. "99% of the people do the easy things while 1% do the right things."

In examining the truth of the assertion, let us not quibble about the precision of the percentage as Lo probably just meant to talk about the overwhelming majority and minority. I think he is right about many people choosing to do the easy things, especially when the modern technology and affluence actually perpetuate it. How many people will walk when transport is so affordable and convenient? How many people will both to have a malfunctioning device repaired when buying a new one is not that much more expensive? How many people will bring their own box or bottle when purchasing food and drinks instead of buying the packaged items?

But I'm not so sure about very few people doing the right things. The problem is that rightness is judged differently by different people. Regardless of whether they fool themselves, hypnotise themselves or convince themselves into believing that they are doing the right things, in most cases people think or claim that they are doing the right things. It's always hard to get people to admit or accept that they are not doing the right things. Who is to judge? Who are we to judge?

Or, how about things which people wouldn't say is exactly right but is not wrong either. What's wrong with some means of making a quick buck which doesn't harm anyone, like compensated dating?

When it comes to what is right and what is not, things are not always very clear-cut. And finally, is it possible that the easy things and the right things are not mutually exclusively? Are easy things necessarily wrong?