The trap is set, there is an open package of cookies sitting on the counter and no one in sight. I, the gullible prey walk right up to the package, and notice one cookie left, one cookie, out of a package of 24. “Well… this is bullcrap… Who ate all the cookies?” I make the call, I’m feeling pretty confident and justified, I eat the cookie.

   An hour later we are sitting at the table, it's time for the family to have dinner, the food is served we do the standard small talk, you know… How’s school? And such, grandma gets up to bring the cookies for dessert, to go along with the coffee, but...

Houston, we have a problem There is no more Cookies!!!

   Holding the empty package, grandma looks around the table. "Who ate all the cookies?", me being a gullible kid still reply. “Well, there was only one left, so I ate it...” grandma is not having it “ how could you eat all the cookies @littlemeno? this was for the coffee later “ The lawyer in me attempts a defensive logical move… “I only ate one, my brother must have eaten the rest grandma”... a two second silence follows as grandma stares at my brother and me.

My brother quickly delivers the judas blow

“Well, its obvious @littlemeno finished the cookies, he took the last one… Did you not take the last cookie brother?”

@unexperiencedmeno

“Well yes, but there was only one”

@smartassbrother

“You finished the cookies then, you did, not me”

@smartassbrother

“Grandma he took the last cookie”

Veredict…. Guilty!!!

   I will grant you my example is pretty silly, but it's actually what happened when I was a kid, you see my brother till this day has a brilliant mind, and he learned early on how to use it to "win" arguments. My point in sharing this story outline a behavior that simply evolve as we age, it simply adapts to our adult situations.

   There has been a lot of finger pointing on the platform lately, big whales accusing each other of ripping off the system, of taking from the little minnows driven by greed and nearsightedness. For the most part I stay quiet, but I do so, not because I fear retaliation if I voice my opinions, but mainly because I see no good sides to take, said simply, I see no innocent whales on this fight.

   Before any of us decide to put on the vigilante cape, we should take a good look in a mirror. Can we complain about inequality, when we participate of the mechanisms that make it so? Can we talk about ethical behavior, when we have in different occasions acted unethically? Can we demand civility and respect, when we have resorted to insults and childish rants too?

   I am of the opinion, specially if you are a minnow, that you learn to walk the talk. You think Bots are destroying Steem’s middle class? Then don’t use them. If you think certain Witnesses are behaving the wrong way, then don’t support them anymore.

   I may not have a big vote, a big account or even a big following. But it doesn’t take only me to make the positive change, it takes all of us, our collective understanding of what is right, and what is not, is the only thing that is going to help Steemit’s sometimes toxic environment heal.

   Tonight when the clock resets and we turn the last page of 2017’s book, I hope each one of us finds a way to be a little more consistent, and rid ourselves of the skewed double standards, because I know we can all do better than this.

Strength and Love to you all