Oh go ahead, you know you want to.

United States
March 23, 2008 12:01am CST
There has been many times when we have been tempted to do things we know that we shouldn't. Either our moral fiber or the consequences deter us from following through with the temptation. The following are just examples; you see an unattended purse sitting in a chair and you are dead broke, your ex was abusive and you'd like to get even, you really think your best friend's new boyfriend is hot. The majority of us would not bother the purse, report our ex to the police if necessary and would never think about touching our best friends boyfriend, because of the consequences of our actions. What if you could do that one thing, you know you shouldn't do and could not only get away scot free, no one would know and there would be NO consequences. Would you do it?
4 people like this
16 responses
@wnbwnbwnb (426)
• China
23 Mar 08
Having desires is the nature of human beings,however, recognizing what we shouldn't do is the main ability that disdinguishes us from other species.
2 people like this
• United States
23 Mar 08
I understand what you are saying, but has there never been a time when you wished for something that was against your moral code?
• United States
23 Mar 08
I will have to say no, Honestly when I found money, wallet, or purse I turned it in or tracked the owner down somehow. I was given the chance for a time with some of my best friends girls, but I could not pull myself to do it. I never had a physically abusive gf, though I have had a few that were emotionally abusive, but I still fill no ill will towards them. The way I see it things like or any other thing that I am sure not to get caught, is though I may not get caught by the ones I offended by my actions, I could not look at myself with any self-respect. That would be worse to me then even getting caught.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Mar 08
I think yours is a really good answer. Self respect is something we all have to live with. We have to be able to look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
24 Mar 08
Gladly! I would have got even with my ex, I nearly pushed him down the stairs once, it was close, I was so angry he had upset me so much that we were arguing at the top of the stairs and I so wanted to push him, one small nudge and bang he would have fell down the stairs! So if there were absolutely no consequences shamefully I would do it, but that was then. Now I think the anger is disappearing and the thought of putting someone even my ex in a wheelchair would play on my conscious too much, so instead I think I would keep a wallet with money in it if I found it. Wow, never thought I'd hear myself saying that about the ex! Must be getting easier
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
23 Mar 08
No! Because it isn't the consequences that scare me. It is my subconscious. It would drive me crazy knowing that I did something awful to someone. It would be my own personal guilt that would eat me up alive. Forget not getting into any trouble. Forget that no one would ever know about it but me. I couldn't live with myself knowing what I did. I think that the guilt would literally kill me.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
23 Mar 08
well I had this situation when I went back to college in my fifties I went to the womens rest room and there was a wad of bils that came to one hundred dollars in a bunch of kleenex and I picked it up and went to the nearest authority on campus and asked if anyone had reported losing some money. Nobody had and so I did not listen to my conscience which was sitting sort on my shoulder saying no patsie this is not right. and I spent the money as I was nearly broke and needed it. well that bothered me to the point that I did not know what to do so I finally dug into my savings went back to the person I had talked to before and she sent me to a different office and there was a girl about twenty who was in tears as she had lost a hundred dollars that had been earmarked for the next quarters books so when I handed her my bunch of twenties that made up one hundred dollars she was so relieved then she took down my name and address. two weeks later I received a letter of thanks and a check from for two hundred dollars from her grandfather who just happened to be one of our professors in the U of ca at irvine and he was also very well to do.so I finally did the right thing and was also rewarded for it. but that did not exonerate me in my own mind as I should never have used that found money in the first place the professor told me that I had done right eventually and that was all that counted.
• United States
23 Mar 08
Thats a really cool story Hatley. I appreciate your honesty and you sharing such a wonderful story with us. You must have felt like a new person after you did what you did for that girl.
• China
24 Mar 08
Never have I cared about it.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
23 Mar 08
I really do not know if I would I guess you would have to be in that position to find out if you would do it but looking at the Examples I guess if they got away with it they would and that includes myself probably I don't know
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
23 Mar 08
Reality check... You know KB... even people with the highest moral values will throw their values away if they think they can get away with something. That is human nature. I know someone who is head of security in a big shop in Sydney. He tells me that most of the shoplifting is not done by thieves... but by opportunists... Everyday people who see an opportunity to steal something while nobody is watching. For every person returning a lost a purse... nine people won't. That is why than when one do... it makes the news in the newspaper. Those three things that you think most people would not do... happen everyday of the week... even when they know that they are going to be caught. Lets face it... if people were that good... there would not be any need for a police force and solicitors would go broke.
@mummymo (23706)
23 Mar 08
Well onli of Bruce Willis were able and willing! lol There is nothing I can think of that I would do as even if I could get away with it , I would still know about it and I would be tortured by my conscience! xxx
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
23 Mar 08
Even if I know that I could get away from doing something as tempting, having a conscious and guilt wouldn't let me rest. I sometimes wanted to kill certain individuals that have wronged me before but, in the end I know that even if I could get away with it, other people would still get affected of such actions so, even if I have strong urges to get back, abuse or even take advantage of things for myself, I know that other innocent people would be affected.
@jeanniemay (1798)
• Philippines
23 Mar 08
I always believe that all actions gives out results and all it has either bad or good consequences. I won't do anything malicious that is too tempting to be beneficial just because it will give me no consequence. Well, i may not see it's consequence but i will always have a price to pay. I might not conquer my conscience bothering me and that is a bigger consequence to pay.
@mrpippo (756)
• United States
23 Mar 08
Kill my ex wife
@clowdine (1402)
• Philippines
23 Mar 08
I know Someone would know what we think, do, say and what we keep in our hearts. So far, that helps me cope with temptations around me. I feel ashamed that He sees what I want to do but it makes me relieved knowing that He understands I don't want to do it and in the end, I can say He will forgive me because I fought it and did not give in.
@MsEddie86 (234)
• United States
23 Mar 08
NO i would not do it because my conscious would bother me to bad, for example i was in the store gettin my daughter a new toy and she saw the sales woman putting it in the bag so she thought hey i can do that too, so she put another doll in the bag and i didnt notice it until i got to another store and i took it back immediately because i like that store and i'm sure it was on camera that she had put the toy in the bag and i felt so muh reief when i took the toy back because i felt like a theif even though i didnt know the toy was in there and my daughter was only one years old so she didnt know she was stealing, but honestly no i could not do it at all. would u do it?
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
23 Mar 08
I would still have to live with myself so no I wouldn't do it, life is not as much about rules for me as it is for integrity
@p1kef1sh (45681)
23 Mar 08
Conscience whispers, but interest screams aloud. ~J. Petit-Senn You ask would I do it rather than did I do it. So with a clear conscience I can say "tempt me". Thus far I have resisted but none of us can know what the future will bring. I know that I would never steal money. When I was about 10 I stole a packet of sweets, which I hid in my coat. I didn't need them, or want them especially, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I took a much cheaper packet to the checkout to buy them legitimately. The assistant charged me way over the correct price for the packet that I was holding. When I queried it, she said that she was charging for the packet in my coat as well! My first and last foray into the world of crime. I know that I am far from perfect so I could never rule out doing something stupid in the future. But I like to think that my integrity would stop me. But who knows what we might do when desperate.