Survey question about money and ethics
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Hypothetical question. Multiple-choice answer.
You unexpectedly fall into a significant amount of money. Totally legit. The money is going to be delivered to you in 2 months. There is a slight chance that you’ll be obligated to share some of this money (20, 30 40%?) with another person, but only if that other person finds out about the money before it gets delivered. Neither you nor the other person is in critical need (debt, illness, etc) but it's enough to make a financial difference for both of you, even if split. Your first reaction is that 100% of it should go to you, but you'd have to actively withhold information and perhaps even lie to keep the other person from finding out about it. You run into this person weekly and the topic of money always comes up. In fact, if you successfully keep them in the dark long enough to get 100% of the money for yourself, they will know about both the money, your deception, and your intent (to cut them out) immediately upon the delivery. Your initial reaction was that you want and should get 100% -- finders keepers. However, after pausing to consider what’s right … what do you do? (A) I would withhold information from that other person no matter what they mean to me. It’s my money, I heard about it first. (B) I would withhold information, unless this other person is someone I love. (C) I would withhold information, unless I consider we consider ourselves to be mutual friends. (D) I would only withhold information if this person is a stranger *and* I can find a way to stop running into them / won’t see again. (F) I’d inform the other party regardless. Multiple-choice answers only, please. No caveats, questions, or explanations. Just pick the one that is closest to how you’d likely react. This is anonymous; be honest. |
Anonymous
| (F) |
Anonymous
| F, easy choice. I hate having something like this to worry about and bad blood with anyone. It's money I didn't expect and didn't work for, so I will very happily take the 60% or whatever. The only thing that would keep me from informing would be if there is any doubt the money is coming through. I do not like to mislead people. So once I am sure it's happening? I tell. |
Anonymous
| F |
Anonymous
|
F
Couldn't have it hanging over me. If the other person has a reasonable claim to a portion of it, it's theirs. |
Anonymous
|
Really?? Not even a C or a D?
|
Anonymous
| F |
Anonymous
| OP here looking for more feedback, since this is only partially hypothetical. It does have an actual, present analog. And I am either the “other person” after having found out, or the original windfall-er. Makes no different for this exercise, though. |
Anonymous
| F |
Anonymous
| F because they would find out. Otherwise I would have picked D. |
Anonymous
| F; you’re getting significant money. 60-80% of that would still be great. |
Anonymous
| what was E? |
Anonymous
How can you be looking for more feedback, if there are so few details to parse? For me this is totally fact dependent. Some of the parameters don't make sense... I'll run into this person weekly and the topic of money always comes up? Why can't I just avoid the person and that topic? Who is this that I have to discuss my intimate financials details with? And then how can there be a choice (D) that says the person is a stranger? I'm not going to virtue signal that I would choose (F), but I just can't get a handle on the circumstances of why I should have to share a windfall with this person. Some kind of business relationship? A big client for a law firm? There could be ethics issues. |
Anonymous
|
F
Though I’m curious about the real application of this and how anyone justifies A-E. |
Anonymous
OP again. It doesn’t make airtight sense because it's just a cartoon sketch. But I challenge that behavior here is "totally dependent" on omitted detail. Yes, real life has gray areas, not just primary colors. But in my experience the missing detail just makes a +/- 1 on the decision scale or is fodder for justifying larger shifts - specifically, actions we take that we'd not tolerate from others. Because of this and that ... turn the tables and suddenly "this and that" aren't so motivating anymore. Ya know? |