"El aspecto más escandaloso del escándalo es que uno se acostumbra a él"

It's crazy to think about, but sometimes the worst part of any big scandal is how quickly we adapt to it. We're all guilty of it—scandals erupt, everyone's talking, and then somehow, they just fade into the background noise. It's like we become numb, and that's kind of terrifying when you think about it.

Take the financial crisis of 2008, for example. When the housing bubble burst, it was chaos. Banks were failing, people were losing their homes, and it seemed like the world economy might just collapse. There were protests, finger-pointing, and a lot of outrage. But fast forward a few years, and what happened? Wall Street bounced back, and a lot of those same practices continued once the dust settled. People got used to it. The scandal became part of the normal landscape.

To really drive this home, let’s look at a more relatable example—say you’re working at a company where a high-level executive gets caught embezzling funds. At first, it’s the talk of the office. You can’t believe someone would do something so unethical, and everyone’s speculating about what’s going to happen next. But then things start to die down. Maybe there’s a new policy put in place, or the executive is quietly replaced. Before you know it, it's business as usual. The shock wears off. People adapt. They start to overlook the seriousness of what happened because life goes on, and there's work to be done.

So, how do you avoid falling into this trap? It all starts with mindfulness. You have to actively remind yourself why the scandal was shocking in the first place. Keep asking questions. Why did it happen? Who was affected? What can be done to prevent it in the future? Don’t let yourself become desensitized. It’s easy to look the other way, but real change comes from staying engaged and demanding accountability.

Imagine you’re at a family reunion and your cousin reveals that they've discovered some shady dealings at their workplace. Initially, everyone’s appalled and can’t stop talking about it. But as the day goes on, the conversation shifts. By dessert, it's all but forgotten. This happens so often in life—we’re shocked in the moment, but we don’t let that shock turn into sustained action or change.

Here’s the takeaway: next time you’re faced with a scandal—whether it’s in your personal life, at work, or on a global scale—don’t let yourself get used to it. Keep the conversation going. Stay informed. Act when you can. Even small actions, like signing a petition or continuing to bring up uncomfortable truths, can make a difference. It’s when we get complacent that the real damage happens, because then those in the wrong know they can get away with it again and again.

So, let’s make a pact. Let's promise not to let the shock fade into acceptance. Let’s keep the fire of outrage burning just a little longer. Because, in the end, it’s not the scandal itself that’s the worst part—it’s how easily we can learn to live with it.