Mon 17 Mar 2008
Sure, you’re not going to murder anyone, or rob a bank, and set a house on fire. But what about the little things? What’s the least-bad thing you just fundamentally will not do? Or what’s the worst thing you will do? And in either case, why?
Have you ever stepped over what was at the time a clear line of transgression? Did your ethical boundaries (or your resolve) change as a result?
7 answers so far!
I hold a weird vicious grudge on cafés with bad service or poor quality food with an astounding vengeance and zeal. When I get offended by rudeness or extreme wait time, I ‘ban’ the particular establishment for ONE YEAR. Almost every coffee shop near my part-time job has been such ‘banned’ and now I have to walk two blocks for a coffee. But somehow morally, I feel in the right. I am otherwise easy-going.
Oh wait, that wasn’t the question. I was talking about the ‘least’ as in most unimportant ‘moral’ thing that I do. Noon, on the east coast and I haven’t had my coffee yet.
(But - yippee -life of a freelancer!)
Hmm. I feel fairly strongly about NC-17 images/videos/whatever, and threesomes. Will not do either. Dunno if that counts. Oh, and plagiarism/violating academic integrity. Drives me fucking insane to think that people could let themselves do that.
Hell, if I thought I could get away scot-free and not hurt anyone, I’d rob banks all day long.
I won’t run stop signs or stop lights, even if it’s three AM and I’m alone on the road and I can see a mile in every direction. That would probably impede the bank robberies, too, come to think of it.
I will totally waltz right by the “suggested donation” bowl and head straight to the app table, though. Shameless.
I wouldn’t cheat on my taxes (or even claim a deduction for a charitable contribution, which is perfectly legal but seems revolting to me) or weasel out of jury duty. Although I do have a bunch of *unreleased* live boot torrents, I would not download “free” copies of commercially released music or movies (although a buddy and I have occasionally traded copies of music we bought). Definitely no plagiarism. There are have very strict federal privacy (FERPA) laws about releasing student information, and I’d never knowingly violate those.
I’d never knowingly violate anyone’s privacy — maybe in part because I (semi-unknowingly) did once long ago. A friend of mine told me she knew for a fact that her soon-to-be ex-husband was boffing the singer in his band, and I confirmed this for her since she already knew — which deeply hurt her feelings because she was just wildly speculating. So now I try to stay the fuck out of other people’s business, avoiding hearing secrets and definitely don’t pass them along.
I have refused to work on an advertising campaign for the dow chemical company.
now I’m probably not the most ethical guy out there. I have no problem doing ads for hard liquor, doubtful products or cigarettes. it’s your choice and hey, I will gladly assist you in throwing your funds out of the window. but something bothered me about bhupal, napalm, ddt and all those stories. dc affected people who hadn’t chosen to be affected by them.
I changed jobs within six months.
I have a hyperactive conscience… I won’t throw any garbage out my window because I’m afraid an animal might choke on it.
Once I had a trinket from someone I no longer liked… I wanted to go out in the middle of the street and smash it, but I couldn’t because I was afraid I’d miss picking up some glass and someone would get a flat tire.
I don’t like messing up my karma!