Breaking Bad is a consistent presence in lists of the greatest TV shows of all time. After watching the show, I realized that its genius lies in its deep exploration of one core concept – a slippery slope.
Walter White’s transformation from ailing Chemistry teacher to ruthless drug lord happens slowly and gradually – one bad decision after another. It is an inevitable consequence of his growing greed and the need to do two misdeeds to cover a previous one.
It reminded me of a reflection I shared from Clay Christensen’s “How will you measure your life” –
“No athlete starts out wanting to dope. But, one small compromise leads us down a slippery slope and we soon find ourselves in a place where we never intended to be. It might seem like one extenuating circumstance but life is a series of extenuating circumstances.
Figure out what your values are and never deviate. You can’t follow 99% of an ideal. It’s 100% or nothing.”
Indeed.
