Social Question

Hypocrisy_Central's avatar

When it comes to questions on ethics, are people honest in their answers, or do they lean more towards answering in a vague PC way so as to not appear in an unflattering way?

Asked by Hypocrisy_Central (26879points) September 11th, 2015

I find how people answer questions of ethics does not always reflect their views in general conversation, for instance, if one seen a young man wrestle a bike away from a young teen and ride off, to stop him would it be ethical to run alongside him and run him off the road to make him crash (and maybe get out and pound the guy). Most people would say it wasn’t ethical to do, and to let the cops handle it. In conversations where what is ethical is not in play, if they read about something like that, their answer or comment would be more like handling it as they did in the West for horse thieves, or in the Middle East where they take a digit or a hand, or simply beating the crap out of him. When it comes to the question of ethics are people less honest and answer more on being more honorable than those who are doing wrong?

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6 Answers

trailsillustrated's avatar

Most people would knock him off the bike and pound him. And not feel bad about it.

longgone's avatar

When we’re asked to contemplate the ethics of an action, I think it’s quite natural to come to a conclusion more balanced than our first instinct. That’s what discussing ethics is all about – if what feels good to us was always the best course of action, we would not need them.

zenvelo's avatar

Ethics is the issue of deciding between two bad choices. A discussion on ethics is more nuanced and contemplative, because on has time to weigh the outcome of a choice.

But when discussing one’s instinctive reaction, that is more about what one’s gut tells one to do right away.

And most of the people I know would not beat the crap out of someone, or run them off the road with a car, or otherwise endanger a life. @Hypocrisy_Central if that is what your circle of friends say, perhaps you are hanging with unethical people.

rojo's avatar

Contemplating the ethics of a situation is, in many cases, a luxury that we are not afforded. How are you with snap judgements and facing the consequences later?

Hypocrisy_Central's avatar

^ How are you with snap judgements and facing the consequences later?
Years ago, whether it was contemplated or a snap choice, it was always filtered through how well it would help me. Now my choices filter through how much will it help or hurt the Kingdom, so I mold my ethics to fit that in spite of what I might have thought should be, or should have been done.

Pandora's avatar

I don’t know about what most people are actually doing but my answers can be a little pc if I’m on the fence because I can understand both ways. and I have not determined where I completely stand on the subject or if I feel I need to know more, or I find I may disagree mostly but feel I may feel differently in their shoes.

But if my answer must be direct and I am against the general crowd, I have stood my ground and made my opinions heard with little regard to the the general crowds feelings. Usually I will do this when i feel they are presenting the MY way or the hwy hive mindset. Or if their thought is so ignorant or unjust that I can’t abide by it in the least and to empathize with them in the least will lead them to mistake my empathy as agreeing with them.

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