Will you take a stand or will you be a bystander?

I have always been someone who cannot just stand there and watch things happen silently . Somehow the idea of " If it's none of your business, don't get involved" ," Don't upset the apple cart", " Jaane do " , doesn't ring too well with me.

Nope sir! I dive right in and speak my mind out . At the cost of incurring debates and subsequently wrath of a 100 people and/or opening the so called pandora's box....I did it again recently by pointing out a very valid flaw in a process at work recently, and before I knew it, more than 3 managers and other powers-to-be were involved in the thread that I propelled. And I'm not sure if I'm the favourite employee right now ! But then I could deal with being hated, but not with knowing that something was wrong that I was aware of and I did nothing about it.

For me there is no bigger turnoff than a person who cannot speak up their minds. Taking a stand is equivalent of having a spine for me. I don't understand how someone with a mind stay silent when in a crowded bus you see relatively healthy men taking up the seats designated for women , or a man ( apparently rightfully) hitting his wife? Why? how does it matter to me ? like the indians say "Tera kyaa jaata hai" ? I tell you what, as someone educated enough to have a sense of judgement, and a cognizance of right and wrong and justice, it is your right and your duty to speak up. You're as involved in a crime, as the ones committing it, by watching it silently.

I know a lot of people who have ideas that may potential go against the convention, or have disagreement about lot of things at work but they hold back speaking up and "just let it be ' , fearing that it might be held against them in future or that they might rub someone the wrong side.

I've seen relationships of years break, because the guy could not stand up against his parents who opposed the relationship on flimsy grounds.

I have seen people sell out to idealogies and concepts they most despised personally because going against them would label them an 'outcast' or simply because complying is just so much more convenient .

I guess I'm not a people pleaser ( People pisser more like!) and probably there are more people that hate my guts than the ones that like me....I dunno if i'm right, or I don't know if it is even the question of me being right or wrong... But know what? At the end of the day, I can live with myself. I can go to bed knowing that I did the right thing, did what my heart said, rather than selling out, even if I wasn't the most diplomatic person around. Even if I momentarily paid for being honest, I earned my own respect. That's all that matters.

Share your experiences with me? Would you take a stand? Or would you just sit on the fence? Describe an incidence when you stuck your neck out and actually felt good about it or it resulted in a change for the better ( or worse).