Simple Ethics Question

[Yahweh]

Just a personal question of mine:

Is it more desirable to please everyone, or to be correct?

Choose wisely...

[Upchurch]

Being correct should please everyone.


...okay, I'm just pulling your leg. Being correct (for the most part).

[whitefork]

Most desirable is to be correct while annoying as many people as possible. That's the sign of a true visionary.

[Nyarlathotep]

I voted that it is usually more desirable to be correct.

I would rather be correct all the time but there is a time and a place for everything, including trying to please people. I.e. if I were sick and my boss reccomended homeopathy (not that this has ever happened, I don't know my bosses stance on such subjects), I would probably jst give some sort of polite brush-off like "hm, maybe I'll look into it" rather than try to score points by proving that homeopathy is malarky. In this case the fact that I am talking to the woman who signs my paychecks makes being pleasant more important than being right.

[tim]

Somewhere in the middle there, I think. There's no real black and white on this one IMHO. Depends on the circumstances. There are things that I am not going to fight about, and things that I will. No hard and fast rules. I voted to even up the score!
:D

[Chanileslie]

It is just not possible to please everyone all the time. One may bend over backward to please Group A, but inadvertently offend Group B. So, it is always best to be honest with one's self and with the people one is dealing with.

[MLynn]

Originally posted by Yahweh
Just a personal question of mine:

Is it more desirable to please everyone, or to be correct?

Choose wisely...
If I can be friendly/flexible with someone'e incorrect opinions I don't stand my ground - no need to cause ill will. However, if it's something that I deem important, I will "correct" the person as needed, hopefully in a friendly way. Some opinions are neither correct or incorrect, although I can't think of an example right now. :)

[Iacchus]

What does it mean to be correct? ... That's debateable.

What does it mean to please others? ... If it means going against what you believe?

Therefore I would say it's important that we please ourselves and try to at least be correct about that.

[MLynn]

Originally posted by Iacchus
What does it mean to be correct? ... That's debateable.

What does it mean to please others? ... If it means going against what you believe?

Therefore I would say it's important that we please ourselves and try to at least be correct about that.
I really like your post - it makes me think "outside the box." Thank you!

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Iacchus
What does it mean to be correct? ... That's debateable.

What does it mean to please others? ... If it means going against what you believe?
I deliberately left my question very open to interpretation.

In terms of intellectual honesty, I would say its always more desirable to be correct than to be a people pleaser (so it looks like Intelligent Design stays out of schools...).

Of course, what about working in a group? Would you rather be a people pleaser or would you rather be correct? There is much gray area to consider.

[Iacchus]

Originally posted by Yahweh

I deliberately left my question very open to interpretation.

In terms of intellectual honesty, I would say its always more desirable to be correct than to be a people pleaser (so it looks like Intelligent Design stays out of schools...).

Of course, what about working in a group? Would you rather be a people pleaser or would you rather be correct? There is much gray area to consider. Well I hate it when people get the wrong idea, especially when it's about me which, is why I'm not much of a people pleaser. However, that doesn't usually mean I go out of my way to tell people where they can get off. Usually I just try to maintain my reserve.

P.S There aren't too many people that I really agree with. ;)

[neutrino_cannon]

We must strive to do the right thing all the time, as the right thing is by definition what we must strive to do. We can only do what is right if we know what is true and untrue.

Only then is world domination possible.

[fishbob]

it tends to be more desirable to correct than to please everyone

What is 'it'?

Desirable to who?

Correct - meaning accurate?, more supporting evidence?, most popular opinion?

Please everyone? How?

Lotsa questions, no answers, therefore Planet X.

I am adrift in a sea of ambiguity.

[Folly]

That one oddball vote, "please everyone"... That's me. But it needs some explanation. I was very tempted by Planet X.

Unless the question is narrowed down, it seems like any of the answer could be reasonable, in certain circumstances. How about drama? Almost certainly better to please people there, rather than be correct (assuming there's some connection to real life....)

Math? Better to be correct, although I'm not sure how you would please people with incorrect math. Maybe statistics...


But then I tried two other tacks. If the question is meant to be as broad as possible, I figure go whole hog. Correctness isn't really verifiable, nor are everyone. So just please yourself. Silly, yes, but I didn't just want to say planet X.

The other is to ask what the point of correctness is. So we know more stuff? So what... We use it to make more people happy. (Sort of. A murky moral road, yes.) Correctness is only a secondary goal.

And finally, I figured _someone_ had to stand up for pleasure :D

Nice question: something to do on the bus today.

[El Greco]

It greatly depends on your environment. Duh. So, I would just say that what is better is what benefits you the most provided it does not violate your moral values.

[CWL]

Originally posted by Kullervo
Most desirable is to be correct while annoying as many people as possible. That's the sign of a true visionary.

:D Now, if the above was an option in the poll I would certainly know where to cast my vote.

[bjornart]

I'd rather be desirable than correct, how should I vote? :D

Never mind, I already voted I'd rather be correct than please anyone

[LuxFerum]

Originally by Andre Gide
It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.

[Wrath of the Swarm]

Originally posted by El Greco
It greatly depends on your environment. Duh. So, I would just say that what is better is what benefits you the most provided it does not violate your moral values. So you approve of all the people who believe stupid but comforting or convenient things?

[El Greco]

Originally posted by Wrath of the Swarm
So you approve of all the people who believe stupid but comforting or convenient things?

Depends on how you define "benefit" from my above quote.

[Wrath of the Swarm]

I'd like to hear a definition of 'benefit' as used in your above quote.

[El Greco]

Originally posted by Wrath of the Swarm
I'd like to hear a definition of 'benefit' as used in your above quote.

For me, a benefit is something that promotes or otherwise helps my short- or long-term goals.

[Wrath of the Swarm]

So you approve of people who believe stupid things, or accept shoddy reasoning, if it helps them reach their goals?

[El Greco]

Originally posted by Wrath of the Swarm
So you approve of people who believe stupid things, or accept shoddy reasoning, if it helps them reach their goals?

"Approve" is completely irrelevant. I may not "approve" if in my opinion their beliefs are stupid. But obviously for them their beliefs are not stupid. In that sense, I don't approve or reprove the beliefs but I approve the logic of doing whatever you think that will help your goals as long as it doesn't conflict with your moral values.

[Wrath of the Swarm]

So for people who wish to perceive themselves as getting the proper treatment and being healthy, it's better to believe in homeopathy than to consider it skeptically?

[El Greco]

Originally posted by Wrath of the Swarm
So for people who wish to perceive themselves as getting the proper treatment and being healthy, it's better to believe in homeopathy than to consider it skeptically?

Have you understood the original question to which I replied ? If yes, why do you ask something completely irrelevant in this thread ?

We are talking about the case where you believe that something is correct and the question is whether you should always openly state your belief or perhaps it is better to conceal it in order to please someone.

[Wrath of the Swarm]

Not at all. You're reading far too much into the original question: "Is it better to please everyone, or be correct?"

There are many ways in which it is possible to "be correct". One way is to openly express a correct statement. Another is to know the truth about a particular thing or situation.

Your statement about which behaviors are better is also far broader in its scope than the question Yahweh asked.

[El Greco]

Originally posted by Wrath of the Swarm
Not at all. You're reading far too much into the original question: "Is it better to please everyone, or be correct?"

There are many ways in which it is possible to "be correct". One way is to openly express a correct statement. Another is to know the truth about a particular thing or situation.

Your statement about which behaviors are better is also far broader in its scope than the question Yahweh asked.

Yahweh obviously has not stated the question 100% correctly, yet the meaning is still easy to undestand. It could be rephrased like this: "Should you always express your true opinion or is it sometimes better to conceal it or even lie in order to please someone ?"

[Wrath of the Swarm]

I don't think so. He can also be understood as asking "what's more important, knowing and/or sharing correct sentiments or knowing/sharing sentiments which please people?"

It seems an appropriate question for a skeptical board.

[El Greco]

Originally posted by Wrath of the Swarm
I don't think so. He can also be understood as asking "what's more important, knowing and/or sharing correct sentiments or knowing/sharing sentiments which please people?"

If you choose "sharing", the question is identical to the one I phrased. If you use "knowing", then I fail to understand how there is a dilemma between "knowing sentiments which please people" and "knowing correct sentiments". You can "know" both.

[bjornart]

I guess some people didn't see the bit about "I deliberately left my question very open to interpretation". Or are just so ... sure they're correct that they'd rather insist on that meaning than be popular.

[El Greco]

Originally posted by bjornart
I guess some people didn't see the bit about "I deliberately left my question very open to interpretation". Or are just so ... sure they're correct that they'd rather insist on that meaning than be popular.

Yes, being correct serves better my long-term forum-related goals than being popular :D

[EdipisReks]

my life has been defined by almost always being correct, and as a consequence, pleasing almost nobody. i rock.