The Setup- Junior year in high school. 7th period Mr. Vu's math class. Week before finals.
The What- A group of kids behind me were talking about how they had pictures of the final because it was just lying there on the teacher's desk when no one was around. I did not really know what to do, so I just gave the teacher an ambiguous statement at the end of class. I told him that it would be in his best interests to change some of the questions on the final because some students may have found some of the answers, but I refused to give him the names because of social pressures of being called a snitch.
The So What- I was struggling with my morals in that I had three options: I could alert the teacher, I could ask them for the answers, or I could just act like I never heard them. This decision was one of the hardest I have ever had to make. If I told the teacher who they were, they might have gotten expelled and I could have ruined their lives. I couldn't handle that kind of pressure at such a young age.
The Now What- I learned that I am afraid of always doing the right thing because sometimes the right thing might hurt some people. I cannot handle the pressure of worrying about what society will think of me.
The What- A group of kids behind me were talking about how they had pictures of the final because it was just lying there on the teacher's desk when no one was around. I did not really know what to do, so I just gave the teacher an ambiguous statement at the end of class. I told him that it would be in his best interests to change some of the questions on the final because some students may have found some of the answers, but I refused to give him the names because of social pressures of being called a snitch.
The So What- I was struggling with my morals in that I had three options: I could alert the teacher, I could ask them for the answers, or I could just act like I never heard them. This decision was one of the hardest I have ever had to make. If I told the teacher who they were, they might have gotten expelled and I could have ruined their lives. I couldn't handle that kind of pressure at such a young age.
The Now What- I learned that I am afraid of always doing the right thing because sometimes the right thing might hurt some people. I cannot handle the pressure of worrying about what society will think of me.
Wow! That sounds like a dilemma at such a young age. I think you did the most respectable thing in that situation. You did the right thing because you didn't rat out any specific people but you created a fair ground for everyone while being truthful with the teacher. It's hard when society is constantly judging us and we are worried about their opinions.
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