• Question: Should people care more about doing the right thing, or doing things right?

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      Asked by Raquel to John, Laura, Luke, Rob, Ruth on 20 Jun 2016.
      • Photo: Robert Williams

        Robert Williams answered on 20 Jun 2016:

        Sometimes doing the right thing may – as it turns out – no be the right thing to do.
        Sometimes doing things right is the best way because doing the right thing is a judgemental thing whereas doing things right is based on how your were or area trained.
        Often in a crisis people will make a choice and they will have to live with the consequences. In many cases that choice was the right thing but in some it is not.
        For example if someone is paralysed as a result of an accident they may feel that their life has ended – but that is just theor previous like.
        They now have a new life that they can embrace if they make the right choices.
        A good example is injured service men and women. They may not be able to return to their previous roles but they may be able to take up sport and be an inspiration to others …. The Invictus Games is a very good example

      • Photo: Laura Finney

        Laura Finney answered on 20 Jun 2016:

        I think if things are done right they often lead to the right thing.
        There are of course cases where this doesn’t apply and it can all depend on the situation.
        Often what we believe to be right, isn’t right. Often it takes someone strong to speak up against doing things right to show people that they are not doing the right thing!

        For example, if someone is sick at work and they need to go home, the right thing for a manager to do is encourage you to stay if you can since this is good for the company. However, is it doing the right thing? Surely the right thing is to send them home until they get better? But for the company that is not doing it right.

        Wow this is confusing to write – do things right, do right things 🙂

      • Photo: Ruth Patchett

        Ruth Patchett answered on 20 Jun 2016:

        Yes people should always care about doing the “right” thing. The trouble is it is not always clear what is the right thing to do. For example people with different experiences and backgrounds may predict different outcomes from their actions despite having the best intensions.
        For example if someone is sick they can often have a choice of different treatments, it is sometimes hard to know which one will work best and which one is the “right” treatment for them so doctors have to use their knowledge and experience to help them choose the best treatment.

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