Morals, Ethics... WWJD?

[Pekka]

So folks, since you guys are the smartest and the most beautiful (and fabulous if you're into that), I'd like to hear your opinions.

I'm not going into details so you can't guess what the problem is accurately, so we can be on theoretical level.
Maybe we can work out a nerdy algorithm to solve these problems, and then we don't have to worry ever again about our choices.

So, there is something person x wants. This person REALLY wants it badly. This person can not see any other goals in his life and is determined. To get this goal, this person will not directly or indirectly hurt any living creature. This person is nice by nature and does not want to hurt others, and lives by the way of thinking how his actions will affect others and chooses not to do the ones that have negative effect even if the ones affected don't know who did it and why. But he's not a *****.

The problem: This person has two choices to advance and make it to the goal of his life that would make him happy. This person is not unparticulary unhappy, but if he failed (which is not an option!) it would be like being Hugh Hefner and impotent beyond any repairs.
Now, the other way is by the way of deception and telling a 'white lie'. By telling this lie, this person is not hurting anyone, or taking anything from anyone else.
This person believes that doing it by the way of deception COULD possibly make his chances little better. Not much better, but little better. He is not sure about it though. If he is succesful, he's happy. If he gets caught, it will ruin his every attempt to ever making to the goal again with 99% certainty. He'll get in small trouble because of it, but nothing huge. It will affect his desires for other things as well and makes them harder, maybe even impossible.

The other way, being honest, will make his journey harder, and it can become even impossible. By doing it this way, he can try again, but chances of succeeding are slim to none after it.

This person does not now the system what he is about to cheat or try the hard way, so he is not sure which method is more likely to succeed. But with 95% certainty it is his only shot and will determine the rest of his natural life.

So. Which way should this person choose to go?

[General Ludd]

Tell the lie and kill anyone who finds out.

[Pekka]

And to make it less mysterious, this person will not hurt the system, and most likely if succesful, the system will benefit from this person. But the system is not very flexible and tries to make the persons journey difficult, or even impossible, because it breathes the rules, but the rules covers the book by its covers, and can not be even expected to make changes as it works for the better of itself. So, what is this person to do, to make it around the rules and get the goal and benefit the system itself?

[Japher]

Be honest
Don't cheat

Or, if you are going to cheat, first figure out the system you are cheating to increase your odds of successfully cheating.



Oh, and by the way, Hysterectomies are not always 100% reversable. So, if you get one it may hurt some of your decisions you may want to make in the future.

[Pekka]

Osweld, this person is unwilling to kill anyone in the system or near it. Threatning is out of the question too. Any kind of violence or forcing is not an option.

[Pekka]

Japher, one more problem is this person can not find out the system very good, and is a terrible cheating, if caught, is very likely not able to recover and cheat his ways out. But person believes that better chances is by cheating, but then again either way, he might get something extra worries even though there is no punishment, or it's not big if he's caught cheating the system.

[Pekka]

I guess I can summarise it better. Two options, one goal. Other is cheating, other is being honest. Only one shot. Both can lead to failure. Being honest is most likely to lead in failure. Is it wrong to try to cheat, morally in this case, when it doesn't hurt anyone? And what path this person should take?

Also, could there be third option? We are talking about going around few little bumps in the road called rules, that are monitored by the system.

[Japher]

We can't give you your morals.

Ask yourself

Would I rather fail having been

a) honest, but not giving it my all

or

b) a cheater, but trying my best

?

So, do your prize honesty or determination?

[Pekka]

But if being honest means you can't get it?
I'm not asking about my morals, I'm asking about your morals.

Well I think cheater is a strong word, but sure if you cheat you're a cheater I guess.

That's a good question Japher. I really have to think about that one. I guess it depends what cheating would mean, and what consequences it could have, and by cheating would it hurt anyone or take away something from anyone. Like a) yes your butt is fat! b) no, you look just fine, the way I like it.

Which ever gets the goal for this person I guess. In this case it would mean getting it any ways possible without hurting anyone or harming the system itself.

[Japher]

Me Personally?

Cheating, whether hurts someone else or not, is still cheating. You will always know you cheated and that will haunt you for the rest of your life, like you got something you didn't deserve.

Not going for it all, or failing yourself is also a bad road. I like to think I give everything 110% (or really about 85-90%) and if I fail because I didn't try my hardest, even if I didn't cheat myself, by could of, I would be let down.

However, I can deal with losing because someone else determined the results. Whereas losing because I myself lost?

If I were a sprinter/runner I wouldn't take performance enhancement drugs, because if I was caught I would lose. Whereas if I didn't take them, and I lost, I would still know that I gave it my all.

Thus, I guess I would have to be true to myself... That's called integrity, and that is the only thing you really have that can't be taken away - only given. And, when you no longer have it you wish you still did. That's a regret I wouldn't be able to get over.

Try and fail. That's all I could do. Yet, I would try my hardest.

[Pekka]

Failure in this would be close to unbareable. It doesn't matter how hard this person tries, being honest can be the bring failure. DAmn it. I need to get inside the system to beat it!

[Japher]

Is this about porn? get the "enhancement"

[Pekka]

No it's not about porn
It's extremely serious.

[Pekka]

Oh you sissies. Come on! Give your answers.. like 'yeah beat the system man!!' .. stuff like that. Or better yet 'I'll help you beat the system man!! I'll endanger my own life for you!'

[Ben Kenobi]

Pekka:

WWJD?

"By telling this lie, this person is not hurting anyone, or taking anything from anyone else."

"This person believes that doing it by the way of deception COULD possibly make his chances little better."

Even if it were true that he was not hurting any human by lying, he would still sin against God.

Secondly, Jesus teaches that we ought to rely upon God,

Matthew 6:31-33

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.