How Honest Are You?

@lynnemg (4529)
United States
December 28, 2008 9:48pm CST
Hypothetical situaion.... You are in line at the grocery store, and the person in front of you accidentally drops a hundred dollar bill. No one is around, so no one saw it but you.What would you do? Would you pick it up and put it in your pocket, or would you pick it up and give it back to the person who dropped it? Be honest. I would actually pick it up and return it to its rightful owner. I would want someone to return it to me if it were mine, so I would do the same. Besides, if I were to keep it, I would feel guilty.
4 people like this
20 responses
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
29 Dec 08
Hypothetically, if I were in a line up at a grocery store and the person ahead of me dropped a hundred dollar bill, I would pick it up and give it back to them, no question. I believe what goes around comes around. I would want someone to do the same for me. I am an extremely honest person. I would not feel very good about myself if I were to put the hundred dollars in my pocket when I knew exactly where it came from and I happened to find it.
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
30 Dec 08
You are correct.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
If you are anything like me, your conscious would not allow you to sleep if you did something that was morally wrong. And, it sounds like you may be a bit like me.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
30 Dec 08
iam pretty honest if that happen to me and i found money and i know who it is i will return it i feel they probbably need the money.no good will come of keeping that money.it,s like blood money.i would want a clean conious it mean a lot to me to have a clean concious.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
3 Jan 09
I think that havinf a clear conscious is a contributing factor to how well we sleep at night. If I did anything that was hurtful or dishonest during the day, I have a horrible time sleeping at night.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
29 Dec 08
i will return it as well... i feel guilty if i have to keep $100 of other people hard-earned money... i would expect other people to return me the $100 as well if i lose mine... take care and have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I would feel guilty because, it is not mine, and you never know another person's situation. Even those that are seemingly rich, may really need that money.
@healer (1779)
• India
29 Dec 08
I would do the same like you did because i have a fear that if we take something away from others we too loose something and i am really afraid of this. I never pick up things dropped on the road or other places, and if i were in the situation that you have mentioned here i' ll pick it up and give it to the rightful owner before somebody takes it away. There are many dishonest people in this world and its hard to find honest people around. Happy new year my friend
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I agree, there are too many dishonest people in the owrld today. I am glad to find that there are still many honest people. Happy New Year to you, too.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
30 Dec 08
Thats what I would do too, I would pick it up and give it back to the person who dropped it. It would be different if you didn't know who dropped it or where it came from, you just saw it laying on the ground, then I wouldn't feel too guilty about keeping it, but if I saw the person who dropped it, I would have to give it back. Like you said, I would want someone to return it to me if it was mine.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
3 Jan 09
I think that what goes around comes around and if I am honest and kind to others, I will receive the same honesty and kindness.
• China
30 Dec 08
If i am faced this condition,I will give it back to the right person too.If i keep it,i will feel uneasy all day.Keeping an relax and easy mood is the source of the happiness.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
3 Jan 09
I think that happiness can easily be found in the smile of another human being.
@eseomame (1146)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Honestly and seriously, I would give it back for 2 basic reasons: 1. I would like the same favour to be returned to me if I were in the person's shoes; 2. I would love to see the joy on the owner's face when I return his prized possession and I know I'll be blessed.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Very unselfish reasons. What goes around comes around. I believe that. If we are honest and helpful, it will be returned to us when we are in need.
• United States
29 Dec 08
I'd definitely give it to them. For one thing I would feel really guilty if I kept it, whoever lost it might have fallen on hard times really needed that $100. Also I don't need money that badly. It might be different I guess if I were really poor.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I am pretty broke, but I would still return the money just because it is the right thing to do.
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
29 Dec 08
Honestly the feeling would be there of keeping it, but i would know this person dropped it and would be looking for it so I would tell the person"here you dropped this" and smile and feel good about myself..now if it was just laying on the street another story..lol..
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
My thought is always, what if that were me? What would I want someone else to do? That is why I would try to find the owner, even if I found the money on the street.
• United States
29 Dec 08
I'd pick it up and give it to the person too! Pardon Me for sounding as if I am bragging but, I have turned down rewards for things that I have found that people lost. The joy I saw in their eyes to have them back was my reward.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Kindness is its own reward. I too love to see thejoy on other's faces when I was able to help them.
• Brazil
29 Dec 08
I would probably return the money to the person. You never know what tomorrow can bring and i don´t like to do to others what I don´t want people to do to me.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
3 Jan 09
I totally agree. Today, I may give back a hundred dollars to its rightful owne, but tomorrow, I may receive 200 dollars in the mail. You never know.
@dhaksha80 (143)
• Singapore
29 Dec 08
To be honest first i would like to have that.But at the next moment it will be realized to me that it is not yours.If you own others $100 today definetely you will lose your $200 the next day. That was cultured into my mind.An incident happened to me few weeks before. I bought phone card from a shop.Its actual price is $10.50.(I did not know the actual price then). The girl in that shop charged me only 8.50. When i came home my hubby said that the girl was cheated by me.Next time when i bought the same card from the same girl,she was calling her owner and was checking the price.she said she sold the card for lower price previously.I said her that it was sold to me only,so please take that remaining amount now with this new one.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Very honest of you. My youngest once took a candy bar from the store. I knew she had it, just forgot to put it on the counter. When we got to the car and I realized it, we went right back in to pay for it. It may have only cost a little bit, but making sure it was payed for was my responsibility and I would have felt guilty had Inot paid for it.
@xtian04 (282)
• Philippines
29 Dec 08
in a heartbeat, i will return it to the owner. i will not enjoy something that i know is not mine. :P
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
My mom says that I am the type who feels that everything has to be earned. She could hand me a bag full of money and I wouldn't take if, but I would work my rear off to make a few dollars. That way, I know I earned it and I wasn't taking anything from anybody or taking advantage of them.
• Chennai, India
29 Dec 08
My action would be depending on two circumstances: 1) As you said, the person in front of me drops the bill. I'll just alert him to pick it up. (Even it is more than 100 dollar) 2) If I weren't aware who dropped it, I'll just keep it without guilty feeling. 2 weeks back I was in a similar situation where I found a Rs.500 note (around 10 dollar) and there was nobody to notice it. I just picked it up, kept it for 3 days waiting for anybody to look for it and finally I spent that money since nobody was looking for it. What should have I done? Tell others that I found a 500 rupee note? (If I tell anybody, I am sure that he will claim it is his money)
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I think that if I found money on the street, just laying there without any owner, I would probably go into the nearest store and ask if there had been anyone looking for it. I would continue on through the stores that were nearby doing the same. If, by the time I were done I hadn't found an owner, I think I would take it to the police station and ask them to find the owner. Especially if it were a substantial amount of money.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
29 Dec 08
there is no doubt in my mind that I'd return it. I know what it takes to earn that 100.00 and especially if I saw it drop....I just could not take it. I have found envelopes containing an entire paycheck in them and turned them into the police. I have also lost an amount of money and had it returned to me...karma. Now if I found a dollar and had no clue to who it belonged to ....that'd be a bit different. But even a dollar, if I saw the person drop it...he/she would get it back.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
It is hard to earn money, and it can be devastating when we lose it. I could not imagine making someone go through that kind of anguish.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I couldn't live with myself if I kept it so I'd have no choice but to return it. A bank teller once gave me an extra 100 dollar bill at the drive thru when cashing my ex's grandmother's social security check for her and I got back in line and sent it through the tube. When she asked me what it was for I told her that she had made a mistake and given me too much. She was SOOOOO relieved that I had returned the money because it would have come out of her check and she would have been written up, too. No one should take advantage of anyone else.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I have had that happen too, exept I was cashing my husband's paycheck and the teller gave me an extra $100. I had actually counted the money before I pulled away from the drive-thru window, so I simply sent it right back in. I know the teller was grateful.
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
29 Dec 08
It does not belong to me. I did not earn it. It was not given to me. It is not mine. I would give it back. No question about it.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
It is nice to know that there are still honest people in the world. Thank you.
• United States
29 Dec 08
I couldn't keep it. I know how much losing $100 would hurt me and my family. I can't imagine doing it to someone else. Do you think anyone will admit that they'd keep it?
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Actually, the result has been the opposit of what I expected. I honestly thought that there would be many that would say that they would keep it!! I don't know why, but that's what I thought. I am glad to see otherwise.
@oyenkai (4394)
• Philippines
29 Dec 08
I would pick it up and give it back... actually I wouldn't even pick it up if it was too much of a hassle and I'd just tap the other person to get his attention and tell him that he dropped something. I know that I'd also feel guilty if I kept it because I know that it's not in my nature to actually keep stuff that isn't mine. Thanks for the comment on my discussion!
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I have even chased a person out of a store to return money that they had dropped. They had no idea that it had happened, but they were thankful to have it back.
@Porcospino (31367)
• Denmark
29 Dec 08
I would pick it up and give it back to the person who dropped it. I would feel really guilty if I kept it, I would rather remain poor and keep my self respect. If I were the one who had dropped the hundred dollar bill I would want the other person to be honest and to give it back to me, so I would be a hypocrite, if I did the things that I don't want others to do to me.
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I agree with you. I would definately rather not keep the money and keep my self-respect, than to keep it and feel guilty about it later.