Uganda Today Edition: When You Take a Bribe, You Lose the Power to Say NO: A Lesson from the Hen
In a small village, an incubating hen was given an egg by a farmer, gently placing it near her. Instinctively, the hen reached out with her beak, pulling the egg beneath her body to begin the process of incubation. It was natural, effortless—her role as a nurturer taking over. Soon after, the same farmer extended his hand to offer the hen some corn seeds. Hungry and eager, the hen greedily devoured the seeds from the man’s palm, feasting on what seemed to be a generous gift.
But then, something curious happened.
The farmer reached down and, with a swift motion, pulled the egg back from under the hen. Remarkably, the hen didn’t resist. She had just eaten her fill, and the promise of more corn made her oblivious to what she was losing—her precious egg. She sat still, unaware that something of great value had just been taken from her.
The Hen and the Human Condition The behavior of this simple hen illustrates a profound truth about human nature. Like the hen, many of us willingly accept favors, gifts, or bribes without considering the long-term consequences. We take what seems to be immediate nourishment—whether it’s money, power, or influence—thinking only of the present. But in doing so, we lose something much more valuable: our integrity, our moral compass, and our power to say “no” when it truly matters.
In many societies today, people are enticed with bribes and incentives to look the other way, to stay silent, or to go along with wrongs and abuses committed by those in power. Just as the hen devours corn without a second thought, people take these offerings, not realizing that their silence or compliance is stripping them of their dignity and the ability to stand up for what is right.
Bribes: The Dangerous Price of Compliance When you take a bribe, you become complicit in the wrongdoings of those who offer it. It may start small—a favor here, a bit of money there—but over time, your ability to say “no” diminishes. Just like the hen who didn’t resist when her egg was taken, a person who accepts bribes finds it increasingly difficult to stand up against injustice.
Once you’ve been fed by corruption, your voice loses its strength. You no longer have the moral authority to challenge the very forces that exploit and oppress others. This is how bribery silences opposition, and it’s how corrupt leaders maintain control. People who are meant to serve and protect become powerless, trapped in a cycle of greed and compliance.
The High Cost of Looking the Other Way In the hen’s case, she loses an egg, something she would have nurtured into life. For humans, the stakes are often much higher. By accepting bribes, we allow systems of abuse and exploitation to flourish. Leaders who abuse their power can continue to do so because the people who should hold them accountable—citizens, officials, community leaders—are too busy eating from the hand that feeds them.
Corruption doesn’t just rob individuals of their moral standing; it steals the future from entire communities. When we look the other way because we’ve been bribed, we are essentially giving permission for wrongs to continue unchecked.
Saying NO: The Power of Integrity Unlike the hen, we have the ability to think critically, to make choices based on values, and to resist the temptations that corrupt our character. But to do this, we must recognize the true cost of accepting bribes. We must understand that every time we say “yes” to corruption, we are saying “no” to justice, fairness, and the greater good.
When we refuse to be bribed, we keep our power intact. We retain the ability to stand up for what is right and to say “no” to wrongdoing, no matter how enticing the offer may seem.
Let the hen’s story be a reminder: when we take a bribe, we lose more than we gain. We lose the power to say “no,” and with it, we lose our ability to fight for what’s right.
In our society today, we must learn to value integrity over instant gratification. The corn may fill us for a moment, but the cost of losing our power to resist injustice will haunt us for a lifetime.