Lost Soul
The question for today be: what is the one thing that keeps people from doing wrong?
Many be wondering what the answer to many of the worlds ills be and Me can see one fairly simple answer.
It be the thing that keeps you honest. The thing that prevents you from hurting others. The source of goodness and the strength to help others.
It be the basis of an armed force's determination not to leave a fallen soldier behind and the reason why so many people give their lives so that someone else can live. This thing be what separates those of us who are human from those who merely appear to be.
Can you tell me what me be thinkin of? Really, give it a shot.
There be somethin that me has read about every now and again on many peoples blogs that bothers me. This thing will probably make you angry as well. Intellectual theft. Someone stealing the creative energy from another just so they can look good or make a fast buck. This be one idea that me finds abhorrent and makes me just a little bit disgusted. Me not talkin about passing around emails or jokes that you find on the net or twisting a tale into something a little different to make it yer own. We all be standing on the shoulders of others and trying to find something new be a most difficult task. In some ways, many of the best contemporary writers have used the classics to derive a variation on a theme. A variation, not a copy.
Yasterday, one of me students tried to pass off someone else's work as his own. It took me less than ten minutes on a computer to find the page he boosted. Usually a case of plagiarism be severe enough to get a person kicked out of school, especially iffin ya can prove it and me can. On the suggestion and advice of one of me colleagues me is gonna keep it quiet. "No muss, no fuss; Just fail the kid" was what were said to me.
Me couldn't fail the kid.
He already failed he self.
Me no like fools.
17 comments:
I don't know if there is just one answer to that question or any really. I try to see it all as a necessary balance of black and white, good and eil. I try to believe that nothing is senseless or random and that life needs to have equal and opposite reactions. I try to convince myself that even the most atrocious acts teach us a lesson and needed to "be" but sometimes...
Oh Scary - that boy will someday regret what he did but he also needs to do be punished or else he'll never learn and he'll just expect that he can do it over and over again.
Failing him is the right thing to do.
If I were in your shoes - although maybe I wouldn't report him - I'd make a sort of discreet comment to him about how it reminded me of a piece by "such & such" author and perhaps he should try to define his own personal style a bit better net time...
Guilt. It is that simple. After 18 years of living with THE Jewish mother I have a large stockpile of unused guilt stored up. If I think of doing bad it pops out and let's me know it would break mom's heart. Pathetic and sad I know, but it keeps me honest.
Jewish belief- you are given your name clean. It is the most important thing you hand down to your kids. Never do anything to make them feel ashamed of the gift.
Honor, perhaps? If you have a sense of honor, it will always compel you to do the right thing, I think.
And, as Kanrei said, there's always guilt. That works pretty well, too. I know I feel pretty guilty if I do something dishonorable.
About the student, I like Jeanniegrrl's suggestion.
J=Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrl~ To be certain, Me won't be passing him. Me just handed he the copy of the page me printed from the site he stole from.
Kanrei~ Being half Jewish and Half Sicilian, Me were raised with both Guilt and Shame. and it will work wonders on a person. Yet sadly it takes effect only after the fact. It be the punishment for the crime.
SJ~ Honour. Hmmm Serena. Me were thinking about a different term, but the one you came up with seems to fit nicely. What is a necessary ingredient to Honour? Isin't honour bestowed? Hmmm Me will continue to cognate
I'd like to think its honour. A true sense of honour, however, seems a really difficult thing to find.
I would say...its something like the fear of being caught and ostracised. Its the whole 'social contract' idea. I won't f*ck with you if you don't f*ck with me.
When it breaks down on one side or in a society at large...thats when we start to see whether there really is honour at the heart of most of us.
I wish it were. But there are some really honourable people in the world. Just. Not many.
xx
pinks
Me hope that bastard didn't steal one of me blog posts. Iffin that be the case, me think he should get the chair.
Pink~ Me definitely believe that there must be something else present before honour. Honour is the respect earned from others. It be bestowed and cultivated, but me feels that there be something else behaving as a foundation to the afformentioned quality.
Dyckerson~ Iffin the twit had the intelligence to rip you off than me might have at least laughed and passed the fool before giving him a seat on ol' Sparky.
P.S. Ya got me vote, bitch.
STOMP.
I want to know how you change what type of replies you get. For the replies on this one you have "7 TERSE REPLIES." How do you do that?
What makes us do right? Our mothers, of course.
Lambkins ~ Go to your customize page, then ckilc on the tool button, look around; you'll see the box where you can change the words around.
Me thinks that changing the phrase will get more people intersted in the actual post. At least me used to, LOL.
Greeny~ Me knew someone would come up with a charming answer that me would have to be a complete git to argue with...
STOMP
sm-maybe partly respect? along with honor? because i know a person who lived a lie for months if not years..and it's obvious to all that look, they do NOT respect themselves anymore!
I don't have that stuff. I can customize, but that will give me a whole new look.
The dumb-ass can't even cheat to pass? Did he start it off with, "Four score and seven years ago . . . "
I fear that there is a type of person who feels little remorse or regret for doing such things. People who believe that winning is more important than winning fairly. (This is why we have lawyers and politicians. Sorry, obvious joke.)
But it's true...I wonder if he'll regret what did in time, or if he'll just call you an asshole and try to cheat his way through life. I know it's a cynical view, but I think they're out there.
Libby~ Yes! In your own way you expressed the very idea me were tyhinking of. Self Respect. Me figured that this is something that come before we recieve honour.
Little lamb~ Go for the new look. It's summertime!
Dr.Noisewater~ Cheating takes at the very least, a modicum of intelligence.
Warrior~ This fool didn't even have the sense to be embarrased that he were caught. Me wanted to smack the smarmy smile offa he face.
Scary I am glad you confronted him on his deed and also..plan on giving him a failing grade for that assignment. I don't know what age the child is, but many kids will try this I fear and if they DON"T get away with it..then hopefully they won't try it again. In this day and age, it's quite easy to check the web for plagerized work. Make him accountable..because of course, that's what keeps us honest..accountability.
Reading older posts, commenting here and there :)
i agree with pinks:
"Its the whole 'social contract' idea. I won't f*ck with you if you don't f*ck with me."
Our morals and justice relies on empathy. Do onto others what you would like they did on you.
If i walk around punching people, they're allowed to do the same and i sure ain't the strongest one around, so let's all agree on not punching other people, ..
Something like that.
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