Monday, May 12, 2008

Why Are We Surprised By Honesty??

I was watching one of the morning shows this morning....okay, I admit it, I wanted to see the chick who won Survivor get her check. But another story really caught my attention. You can read about it in more detail here. What it basically says is that a teenager found $108,000 (that wasn't his) and (gasp) did the right thing!! He didn't think twice, he just returned the money because it wasn't his. The reporter then did this elaborate breakdown of how long it would take him to earn this money at his $7 an hour job. I forget how long it was, several years. Then she asked him if he regretted the decision. He said no. Duh. The right thing is just that, the right thing. I guess what catches my attention, or saddens me, is that we don't automatically assume that he would do the right thing regardless, that is is newsworthy when someone does what he/she SHOULD do!! I would like to think that most people would do as this young man did, return the money because it is the right thing. What do you think? Do you think most people would return it? Should we be shocked? Why do we react like this?

4 comments:

erin richardson said...

Yeah, it is sad. Says something about the hold that the world has on itself.

Tracy said...

I think it wouldn't have mattered if it was a kid, teen or an adult. There is so much dishonesty in the world that when we hear of someone doing the right thing we are actually shocked. I would hope that we would all do the right thing. I am such a skeptic these days...I don't know if the majority of people would give it back or not..

Dawn said...

Sad to say it but I think the odds of someone returning it are only about 50/50. There is so much dishonesty in this world now a days, and add to it the economic downturn so many of us are facing I can see why it made the news, people are always quick to think the worst of teens so when one does what he is SUPPOSED to do, everyone jumps on the story.

SAD SAD SAD

Kristen said...

Because we live in a sad world where children learn to think of themselves first! We're going against the flow!