Hypothetical questions about ethics in your job field...

_John_
_John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
in Chit-Chat
If you had to remain competitive in your field by doing something that was technically illegal but the only negative consequence was your own personal integrity, and virtually everyone you were competing against in your field was doing it, would you do it as well to remain competitive or would you accept the competitive disadvantage to maintain your personal integrity?
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Replies

  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
    what is this integrity you speak of?

    seriously, I've already got my ticket for the bus ride to hell . . . what's one more thing?
  • CompressedCarbon
    CompressedCarbon Posts: 357 Member
    Would you hypothetically be okay with it or would you flay yourself with guilt because of it? What would make this hypothetical person ok with the decision s/he made?
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Would you hypothetically be okay with it or would you flay yourself with guilt because of it? What would make this hypothetical person ok with the decision s/he made?

    Essentially the only negative consequence would be your own personal views of yourself...
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    This sounds like bodybuilding and steroids. Everyone at higher levels takes them, noboby admits to it. Illegal.

    Leveling the playing field.

    I have a tough time doing things I wouldn't tell my family or friends about.
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
    In this life, if it's a choice between more money and my personal integrity I take the thing I'll die with.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    depends on whether or not i agreed with it being illegal in the first place
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Nope.

    If I have to compromise my values (and the law) to stay competitive in the field, then I'm somewhere I don't belong.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    depends on whether or not i agreed with it being illegal in the first place

    Pretty much this. I probably wouldn't do anything I believed was wrong for personal gain, legal or not.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    I'll throw someone under the bus for more money, eff that integrity noize.


    Then again, I'll throw you under the bus for a cupcake.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    No amount of success is worth sacrificing your own integrity. All the money and prestige in the world don't matter when you're laying in bed at night and won't soothe your conscious on your deathbed.
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    Intergrity Is Doing The Right Thing, Even if Nobody is Watching. (from a picture hanging in my shop so my employees can see it. )
  • mammamaurer
    mammamaurer Posts: 418 Member
    what is this integrity you speak of?

    seriously, I've already got my ticket for the bus ride to hell . . . what's one more thing?

    ill keep a seat warm for you:wink:
  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
    Ethics and legality are separate things. If it was merely illegal but I agreed with it, I'd do it depending on the risks and rewards. Wouldnt do it if it also compromised my integrity.

    Insider Trading, for example, is mostly only prosecuted in the US and UK. It's now illegal in a number of other developed countries, but not investigated and prosecuted. It's hard to define and many people have always thought it should be legal. Does the legality of insider trading determine if it's ethical or not? Until recently, most people thought it was ethical.

    Or as previously mentioned, bodybuilding and AAS drug use. The laws are non-logical and absurd in the first place. The only question is risk vs reward. No affect on personal integrity as there is not one top competitor that doesn't use...it cannot be considered cheating.
  • Derp_Diggler
    Derp_Diggler Posts: 1,456 Member
    If it's going to keep me up at night then no. I am cursed with a conscience dammit.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    This sounds like a post about baseball.
  • tehboxingkitteh
    tehboxingkitteh Posts: 1,574 Member
    I'll throw someone under the bus for more money, eff that integrity noize.


    Then again, I'll throw you under the bus for a cupcake.
    anybody, or just _john_? and what flavor cupcake are we referring to?

    my moral compass isn't completely broken. missing the pointer? yes. but not broken.
  • handyrunner
    handyrunner Posts: 32,662 Member
    I work in the government...can't get more UN ethical...I
  • MiaOrange
    MiaOrange Posts: 151 Member
    I would want to keep my integrity. Would be so tempting with all the competition...but honesty is a good quality that we may need to be patient for the reap the benefits and to keep our values honest.... so that anywhere else we can be trusted and sleep with a healthy conscience.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    If it crosses my ethical line then no, if it crosses some made up illegal line then depends on the consequences.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    This sounds like a post about baseball.

    :wink:
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
    depends on whether or not i agreed with it being illegal in the first place

    Pretty much this. I probably wouldn't do anything I believed was wrong for personal gain, legal or not.

    +1
  • bohica36
    bohica36 Posts: 67 Member
    Personal integrity always wins.
  • PrettyAlaskan
    PrettyAlaskan Posts: 130 Member
    I think it's better to go with your gut. Who knows you might be the only one that gets called out on it whatever it is. You could be the one that gets made into an example :frown:
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    Think of your most respected and loved friend or family member. Would you want them to know exactly what you did? There's your answer.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    depends on whether or not i agreed with it being illegal in the first place

    Pretty much this. I probably wouldn't do anything I believed was wrong for personal gain, legal or not.

    +1

    +me too
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,050 Member
    If you had to remain competitive in your field by doing something that was technically illegal but the only negative consequence was your own personal integrity, and virtually everyone you were competing against in your field was doing it, would you do it as well to remain competitive or would you accept the competitive disadvantage to maintain your personal integrity?
    We're talking steroids here right?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    If you had to remain competitive in your field by doing something that was technically illegal but the only negative consequence was your own personal integrity, and virtually everyone you were competing against in your field was doing it, would you do it as well to remain competitive or would you accept the competitive disadvantage to maintain your personal integrity?

    I wouldn't do something if I knew that if everyone were to find out that everything I worked for would be considered worthless and I would no longer be credible. Even if I was guaranteed that no one would ever find out. I wouldn't be able to live with secrets, hypocrisy, cognitive dissonance. The internal freedom that comes with honesty and integrity are worth more to me, and allows for more options in life if my priorities were to change. A person may think it is worth the gain, but later may change their mind and they won't be able to undo it.
  • smkean
    smkean Posts: 132
    Depends, how illegal?
    Like prison or lose your job illegal or oopsie tut tut that was a bit naughty illegal?
  • Ninguneado77
    Ninguneado77 Posts: 468
    If you had to remain competitive in your field by doing something that was technically illegal but the only negative consequence was your own personal integrity, and virtually everyone you were competing against in your field was doing it, would you do it as well to remain competitive or would you accept the competitive disadvantage to maintain your personal integrity?

    I wouldn't do something if I knew that if everyone were to find out that everything I worked for would be considered worthless and I would no longer be credible. Even if I was guaranteed that no one would ever find out. I wouldn't be able to live with secrets, hypocrisy, cognitive dissonance. The internal freedom that comes with honesty and integrity are worth more to me, and allows for more options in life if my priorities were to change. A person may think it is worth the gain, but later may change their mind and they won't be able to undo it.

    Agree...building a reputation is a long process of many. many years....it is what you leave as legacy after you die...yet it can all be lost in a minute.
  • Loss4TheWin
    Loss4TheWin Posts: 249
    If you had to remain competitive in your field by doing something that was technically illegal but the only negative consequence was your own personal integrity, and virtually everyone you were competing against in your field was doing it, would you do it as well to remain competitive or would you accept the competitive disadvantage to maintain your personal integrity?

    Technically illegal? What does that mean? Isn't something either illegal or not?

    In my line of work, if I do something illegal, I can very easily lose the privilege to work. Even traffic tickets are reviewed. What other people are doing has no bearing on what I do. I could see it being very disheartening and frustrating to watch others succeed that are going about it the wrong way, but I'd just keep my head down and keep doing it my way. Breaking laws/rules would cause me waaaaay too much stress - worrying if I was going to get caught, keeping up with lies, hiding things... that's not the life I want to lead. That heart-caught-in-the-throat feeling when you think you might have gotten caught...ugh...no thanks. Imma do it right.

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