The Moral System Pages 1 2 NEXT | |
I don't recall having a situation like that, but I think I would be in the same boat as you :) and not felt good about it. | |
"Finders-Keepers"? Theft is Theft. Coming up with a juvenile rhyme doesn't justify your actions. | |
Nah, you did the right thing. I'd be quite sad if someone took my jacket if I left it somewhere and very appreciative if they returned it.
Personally I've never been in a situation where that's happened. Oh wait. I did steal someone's pen once. People in the library sometimes leave their junk at tables and then go off somewhere else like a class or something and save the spot, meaning one less seat for other people. So I got annoyed and took someone's pen because of that. But that wasn't an instance of finders keepers so much as I really dislike people who are so inconsiderate. | |
in that situation I would leave it where I found it,so mabye the person could come back and find it once they realised | |
I wouldn't have even taken the jacket in the first place. I won't pretend to be some paragon of morality, but that sounds a bit more expensive than I could rationalize just taking. | |
I think that you did the right thing. I know that if my jacket went missing, and I liked it enough to care, I would want it back. I would probably have been more concerned about my headphones really (since I can't live a day without music). Nice thing of you to wash it too. Bravo to you. | |
What kind of douche would take a man's outerwear? I blame your friend more than you, he didn't have the cohones to take it himself, forced it on you and then laughs at you despite his own inability. | |
Better to turn it in - actually, in some cases if no one claims something for a long enough time it ends up being given to the finder. Usually a year I think most places. If someone doesn't come to claim something they lost in a year, they don't want it. That's how my grandma got a very expensive scarf she loves that she found in a bathroom of a department store a few years back. She turned it in and thought no more of it, but they took her name/address and a year later they mailed it to her with a note explaining that no owner had claimed it so it was hers as far as they were concerned. | |
Your friend sounds like a jackass. I can see people who would take it for themselves, but I personally would probably leave it alone. | |
Wow, seriously? That situation is a no-brainer, obviously you either leave the jacket or hand it to the nearest office / lost-and-found. Whoever lost their jacket is likely going to come back looking for it, and a jacket isn't something you don't care about losing (like a bottle of water or something). You did the right thing, and frankly your friend is an ass to think otherwise. | |
Twice I have found purses laying around while outside of class. Twice I have, in some way, turned it to a place where it could be easily found by its owners, despite being in a position where I could VERY easily take the purse or its contents without having any chance of being caught. The first time, in a classroom, after everyone had left, I put it at the front of the room, in the teacher's area, where only professors or grad students would reach it. The second time, out in public, it was resting on a ledge outside of a building (but still slightly out-of-sight). I stood there for a good twenty seconds contemplating what to do. I then saw someone exiting the building who clearly worked there, asked what the building was (university building), and told him about the purse. He took it inside. Edit: But do I think that your friend is a jackass like everyone else here? No, not really. Some of us have moral compasses that align elsewhere. If you'd pocket a $20 bill lying on the ground (and you WOULD, you hypocrites), why would doing so to a jacket be much different? Not that I wouldn't leave the jacket, myself, only that I don't jump on the morals of people that would. | |
Found a hundred dollar bill on the floor at school a few weeks ago, kept that as there isn't a good way to find who it belonged too. "Hey, who's hundred is this?" | |
I've taken stuff before, but never like that. I work at a pool, and if I see something that's been in our lost and found for more than 3 months I'll take it. It's usually just gym shorts or a pair of headphones (cheap ones mind you), but I've taken stuff before. Never shoplifted or taken money from something someone left, but I would be lying if I said I've never taken stuff | |
I'd do the "proper thing" in this sort of situation, like at a school, where there is a decent chance the item could be reunited with its owner through an office or a lost and found. Somewhere else I would check to see if there was something that would let me know who it belonged to, if not I would probably take it, if it was something I wanted. If it doesn't seem likely the owner will get it back than I'd prefer to have it over some random person, it's not ideal but it's the truth. Anyway, if you really care about something and it actually matters a significant amount to you, you won't lose it in the first place. | |
You took the jacket? Dude...that's just mean. Yeah, good on you for bringing it back, but that person might never know that the jacket is in the office. Hopefully they check, but in the mean time, call your friend a jackass, and don't use sarcasm. Be sincere. Inform them of their unnecessarily dickish ways. | |
I stole $15 in 1st grade, it was some kid's excursion money. I confessed sortly after the teacher went through my bag and didn't find it. That was one of the few things I've stolen in my life and I'm generally against stealing unless it belongs to someone with lots of money who didn't "truly" earn it. I would contribute this instance to be one of the sole reasons I'm against stealing. About 6 months ago I found $50 on the ground and felt pretty bad about keeping it, even though I assumed it was from a rich miner. Taking it to the police would be pointless, and I would have notified the person if I seen them drop it (I always do)... So I don't really consider that to be against my morals. I can't really speak of anything else. | |
Good on you for bringing it back ^^. I can't remember stealing so I suppose I did return something. If I did something wrong, it would go on my conscious and I would remember :P. | |
Well I kinda used to be a thief when I was a kid, so yeah I have been in worse situations, as in stealing stuff directly from other people's backpacks and sneaking into offices and stealing stuff, that being said, that was when I was a kid, I wouldn't really steal anything now, I mean now I can't even pirate stuff because it seems wrong, and well recently I actually tell the people at stores when they are giving me more change than they were supposed to, and a couple of months ago I chased a car for 5 blocks because the girl forgot her credit car at the restaurant I worked on, fortunately street lights stopped her, so yeah I think I would have done the same thing, except washing the thing, anyway I like to think I'm a nice person now. | |
You should give it back because it holds personal value (personal attachment to the jacket in some quantity) to the owner. If it were 10 dollars then take it, as there is no personal attachment generally to some 10 dollar bill. Your boyfriend is probably pissed he isn't getting that jacket though :D | |
Depends. If I find money lying around and I didn't see anyone drop it, unless someone goes around asking, I keep it. I mean if you go around asking people if they lost twenty bucks most are going to say yes. Recently I found a text book left behind in a class room, it was for my class and that class was only offered in that room at that time so I took and sent an email to everyone in the class, multiple times. No one has responded yet. Which is a shame for them because text books ain't cheep. | |
Taking it back was the right thing to do. I found a leather jacket on the tennis court my freshmen year. I asked the other members of the team if it was anyone's, and no one claimed it. Tennis practice is after school, so lost and found was closed at this point. I took it home with the intention of bringing it back the next day...and forgot about it for four years. No joke. My parents found it lying around and asked where it had come from and had hung it up in my closet between my suit and dress shirts, which were seldom touched, and me being me, I simply didn't remember it was there. Found it a few weeks ago. I'd bring it back, but whoever left it there has graduated by now. Feel a little guilty, but I don't know what else I could do. Another odd point is that it fits me(I didn't try it on until I rediscovered it), so I brought it back to college with me. | |
If the item were small and indistinguishable, say a $10 note, I would keep it. | |
I seen people lose money before and chase people down to give it back to them. This one guy in a parking lost opened his wallet to tip a cab and some of his money blew out, a few 50$ and smaller bills. I ran around with him scooping up the bills to give it back to him. Even if I see money on the ground and didn't know who dropped it I turn it into the closest store it was found at. Some people have said cause there is no attachment to the money, but I feel as if I didn't earn it. It's no mine. | |
It seems I was mistaken. You, sir, are not a hypocrite in this discussion, and I applaud you for you sticking to your guns. I would definitely help someone if their money was lost right in front of me, too. I make it a point to help people when possible. That said, I, personally, don't feel that it's a moral *necessity* to help when the victim is unknown and the item was lost seemingly hours ago. And, at least in the case of money, it'd be next-to-impossible to correctly trace to the original owner without a huge chance of someone lying about losing money. Whoops, ended up just defending the very people I just called hypocrites >.> | |
Depends. If I see money on the ground, I'm not going to say "Hey guys, who's 10$ is this?" and then it apparently belongs to everyone. | |
Once I found a silver bracelet on the ground. I didn't keep it though, partly because I thought was ugly and partly because I thought it would have been too precious for the person who lost it (after all, they had worn it, so it must have been extremely valuable). I would have returned the jacket too. If not for any other reason, imagine wearing it and the owner recognises it. But, no, I'd prefer if the owner didn't mourn its loss in the first place. I know I'd hate it if my jacket got lost or stolen. I only have two, after all. I found a wallet once and contacted the owner immediately (he had his library card for Uni in there with his email address). And another time, I lost my wallet and got it back pretty much the same way. But anything that's unlikely to be missed, I probably wouldn't mind taking. Money, especially. And partly because I don't think turning in money would do any good. How do you even find the original owner? But computer mice, headphones, newspapers, that sort of thing I've got for myself a lot of times.
I haven't bought a pen in years. I keep finding them and losing them. I'm almost convinced that there are some pens that circulate around in any establishment. | |
I think so too. I find that I have quite a few pens that I'm pretty sure I didn't start with. Just found them sitting next to a computer in the university computer lab or something and kept it. And then I lose some the same way. Or lend one to someone in a test, finish first, and leave before remembering I lent someone a pen -__- | |
I steal stationary all the time and don't feel bad for it because, well, it's stationary. If people leave it they generally don't even notice it's missing. Somehow, I think people would, in general, notice if they left their jacket and be quite disappointed if they couldn't get it back. | |
Did you even think about the difference between a jacket and a $20 bill before saying that nonsense? Hint: I can identify my jacket, can you identify your $20 bill? | |
Worked in a store once, someone left behind a shopping bag full of clothes. We searched the bag, called the store on the reciept and told them we had it in case anyone was looking and put it aside. Months later, we looked at it again, discussed, and gave it to the person who would fit them. I figure there's a time limit for claiming things. Money, if no one knows who dropped it and is just a random bill flopping around, is a free-for-all. I feel bad for whomever lost it, but you can't prove it was yours most of the time. If I find money in a mall, I usually dump it in the closest donation bin I can find. | |
Ive left a gift behind for my girlfriend before in a shop. Stolen. Today she left some chocolate in a bag in a shop and it was also stolen. Ive vowed that i would never do this because the idea that someones robbed you of something no matter how small is terrible especially when its a gift for someone. The people who do this are filth and i have very little respect for them. Justify your theft however you want thief, but if you let your phone out of sight for ONE SECOND and its gone you cant complain. Lets hear "finders keepers" when its your crap being taken. Youd think people would be decent. | |
Scenario. You see a rich looking man walk in front of you. He looks frail and old. He has a wallet in his hands. You are alone in a dark alley. Do you mug him and run if i could tell you that you would 100% get away with it? Its not ok to steal even from those who have a lot. What is your definition of truly earning? Sorry for double post. | |
I wouldn't mug anyone, since that's almost a completely different crime. At least in my eyes. There's no specific situation where I would steal from anyone. I'm just stating I wouldn't feel bad about it if I ever did. My definition of 'truly earning'? Well I know most people with wealth either exploited people to get it, or are doing something/invented something that shouldn't be earning them so much. Most products and services are overpriced. No actor/sports person/etc, should earn millions. It seems the harder you work, the less you get paid. My ideal economic system would be one where businesses are severely limited in their ability to profit. Only earning enough to pay employees, obtain new stock, and over time enough to expand (since that benefits society.) Anyway, that's going off topic. | |
If you wouldnt feel bad about it why wouldnt you? Not to mention if i create something im perfectly entitled to charge whatever i want for it even if its a bajillion dollars. Because its mine. And if people dont want to spend a bajillion dollars i dont get to sell it pure and simple. If people are willing to pay the amount they do for a service who are you to attack the person providing the service for setting the price that people are willing to pay. Ill agree with you on actor or sports person because the skill put in and the help to society are pretty damn small and contribute almost nothing. Even the Ipad helped move forward portable technology so that can contribute something to society. Sports contribute zero. "Doing something or inventing something that shouldnt be earning them so much". I'm not to sure how to respond to this, if you invent something you can go ahead and do whatever you want from it because its yours. If you were selling your car and i said "You are charging too much, you wont truly earn the money, i wouldnt feel bad stealing it from you, so you have to mark it down to what i think is fair" that would be rediculous. And the mugging isnt totally different. The man is old, just take the wallet, you dont have to hurt him, just snatch and grab. Take the money from the old defenceless man. He probably made it by selling something he made for a price he deemed reasonable to people willing to pay that price. | |
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Hey Everyone,
So yesterday my friend and I had class together. Next to the computer I sit at was a lovely white jacket. I waited threw the whole class, near the end to asked if anyone was missing a jacket. No one clamed it, so my friend suggested that I take the jacket home with me and if I didn't want it I could give it to my boyfriend. He puts it in my arms and then we head out to the parking lot. When I get home I start to feel bad about what I have done. So I empty the pockets to find a pair of headphones. I wash the jacket and put the headhpones back into the pocket. The next day I bring the jacket to the office and told them I found it and wanted to return it to the rightful owner.
Yet my friend keeps laughing cause he thinks it was a weak to take it and not keep it. I know In my heart I know I couldn't live with it, cause hey I would want my jacket back if I lost it.
So my question to you wonderful people is have you ever had this happen to you? That your moral compass turns you around cause you know it's wrong. Have you kept things you wish you haven't? Or is it finders keepers?
Let us talk about the moral system and the five finger discout.