#23B - Brendan’s Ethical Dilemma

Posted by mintae12sjs on May 30th 2006 to Uncategorized

Here’s an ethical dilemma about a boy in 3rd grade named Brendan:

Brendan was doing really bad in math. His parents said that they would not let him play on the baseball team if didn’t improve, so he cheated on his quiz. He was caught and a parent conference was called. He had to sit with his parents, his teacher, and the principal. They discussed the school policy on cheating and lying.

On the way home, his father told Brendan that he was deeply disappointed in him and expected more from him in the future. That night, Brendan felt like the whole world was against him, but he also felt guilty for letting his parents down.

On the weekend, Brendan and his family went to the movies. Brendan’s dad asked for children’s tickets for both Brendan and his 16 year old brother. Brendan looked over at his brother, who stared down at the sidewalk and hunched his shoulders hoping the ticket seller wouldn’t notice that he was well above the age for a child’s ticket. The ticket seller glanced suspiciously back and forth between the father and the brother, and then, with a doubtful look on her face, she handed them the the two child’s tickets. This happened every time they went to the movies, and it always made Brendan feel weird.

On the way home from the movie, Brendan asked his father why it was okay to lie and cheat the theater out of money but not to cheat on his math quiz. His dad responded that sometimes its okay to lie as long as nobody gets hurt.

The rest of the way home Brendan just got more and more confused. Cheating on his test hurt nobody. He didn’t steal the answers from any of the other students. If he hadn’t gotten caught, he would have been praised. How was what he did different from what his dad did over and over again? And should he continue to stay silent the next time his dad lied?
  • What was Brendan’s dilemma?

Brendan did not know what to do. His dad said that lying and cheating is okay as long as it did not hurt anybody. Nobody was hurt when he cheated on the test. Brendan did not know if he should stop his dad or not.

  • Have you ever seen an adult or friend do something you felt wasn’t right? What did you do? How did it make you feel?

I have seen a friend do something wrong once. I told him it’s wrong but I didn’t try to stop him whole-heartedly. I felt guilty about not stopping him. I also felt worried and kind of scared

  • Do you think Brendan should try to talk to his Dad again about his lying at the movies?

Yes I do. His dad should set himself straight before it’s too late.

  • Who might Brendan have hurt by cheating on his quiz?

I don’t Brendan hurt anybody except himself.

  • Brendan’s Dad said it was okay to be dishonest if no one was hurt. Who do you think might have been hurt by his lying at the movie ticket office?

I think that Brendan’s dad will be hurt and also the lady at the ticket office.

  • Have you ever felt like doing (or have you actually done) the “wrong thing” because you felt like it was worth it? Do you still feel that it was worth it?

Yes I have. Now that I think back on it, I don’t think it was worth it.

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