“Be kind to all, at all times,” an adage my father says whenever he advises me on what brings blessings to one’s life. He also says that, regardless of how poor he may be and what little possessions he boasts of, what is priceless, is his good name. “They can call me anything, but they can never call me a thief, ” he would proudly add. I was brought up to be kind to all and never to take something that doesn’t belong to me. Virtues better suited for utopia, you’d think! Here, kindness is a weakness readily exploited by even the closest friends and allies. To not take what’s not yours is equal to stupidity. Taking what’s not yours is camouflaged so well that you’d think it’s an entitlement.