An Ethical Dilemma

In my second term during graduation, in one particular course, everyone in the class was asked to write one Ethical Dilemma that each of us had sometime during our lifetimes. We had to mail these to the Professor and could ask him to not disclose / mention it in class. Just sharing mine.

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I know that the dilemma I am going to write here is sort of cliché. However, this is something I always remember and have learnt from.

During my 10^th standard board exams, some students from my class told me that they would get the board papers a few hours in advance. In short, they said that they had sources through which they can source the papers. Initially, I did not believe them. However, they were somehow able to convince me, though they did not have to try hard for that. They also said that I too can get the paper and we can share the expense of getting the paper among ourselves.

As every family does, my family has taught me to stay as far away from such activities as possible. I have also been told by my parents to tell them everything. They say that even if you do anything that is ‘wrong’, just let them know. I contemplated whether to tell them or not about this offer. Somehow, I came to the conclusion that it is better to tell them rather than they getting to know afterwards.

They were of the opinion that I should not get into such things. It is not about the money. They said that these things more often than not end up wasting a person’s time. Instead of concentrating on studies, one tries hard to get the leaked papers. They also said that there would be distinct copies of so-called leaked papers floating around the day before the exam and so the reliability is also absent.

I was adamant at getting the papers even if that meant spending a few bucks and a few hours. So, I told one of my friends that I was in for the papers and he informed me that I would get the paper at 10p.m. the previous night (a good 13 hours before the exam).

The day before the exam, I found myself relying much on this paper and in the process forgetting to put in my required bit of studies. My parents were concerned about this lack of effort much more than I was. As time progressed, at one hand I was getting impatient about getting the papers, while on the other hand, I started thinking if this is the right thing to do. Why I started thinking in such a fashion is not clear even to myself. I suppose the values imbibed in me came to the fore. As the clock approached 10p.m., I got more and more convinced that this was not the right thing to do. I discussed this with my parents and they said that they had left this on me for they cannot always force their will on me.

So, as my friend called around 10:30 to tell me what the questions were, it became quite clear that I would not be able to do this. I told my friend that I do not require the questions and that the payment I had promised would be honored in any case.

The next day, after the exams, when I met my friends I came to know that only a few of the questions from the apparently leaked paper had come in the actual exam.