I admit this is a weird question but please just answer it rather than going off track.
If a teacher said to a pupil who had low self esteem (or not actually) that they would give the pupil an honest answer about whether that person is ugly or not... and they admitted yes, I think you are ugly. This is simply an honest answer to a question.
BUT, suppose that person then commited suicide based on the answer. (whether this could be proven or not, who knows, discuss?)
Could/ should the teacher be sued or held responsible in some way?
Suppose it is the same situation, only the adult requests to be paid for their honest answer (making it more likey they'll tell the truth) Would this make it any different in your opinion? Remember that kid was still willing to pay, not forced into it. Knew that they would be getting an honest answer.
First, does anyone actually think that the person offering to give their honest opinion has done nothing wrong? Even if the kid commits suicide?
2006-10-01 17:07:13 · 9 answers · asked by Fluffy 4 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
I know it is not morally right, far from it. But I'm interested in how others would see it, responsibity wise, law wise.
Don't talk about the teacher being mean or inappropriate, getting sacked etc. Of course!! That isn't my point.
(I suppose it could be any adult, not their teacher, I just used that as an example)
Thanks, truely interested to see what you guys think. Hopefully someone can offer an intelligent opinion and look past the length, sorry it's long but it was hard to explain.
2006-10-01 17:08:39 · update #1
I like your question.....I would answer it in my own way except vegeta94 said it exactly the way it is......No matter what, until the day we die we can't blame others for our actions....it might have been an influence on an action but what others do is never the reason for my actions.....even if a gun is being held to head and I have to make a choice of killing some one else to live or die.....if I take the easy way out and kill another person so that my life can be spared then I made that choice. Not the person holding the gun to my head.
Let me say it this way, every action has a counter reaction. But ever action you make toward another person isn't a decision for that person. Its no more than an action. They are ultimately responsible for what they do.
2006-10-01 17:41:01 · answer #1 · answered by ۩ Cuthbert ♂ 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I truly believe if a person has a low self esteem a person should try to build the persons confidence as much as possible because truly in this world any intelligent person knows beauty comes in many colors and there would be no reason to answer negative to this type of question ! If a person commits suicide I don't think it would be on a fact of anyone making a stupid statement they were ugly ,this type of person probably has deeper problems than anyone knows but yes needed to be treated with a tender heart and not push a person over the edge if they are already at the edge !
2006-10-02 00:30:42 · answer #2 · answered by SANDY G 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I get your point. My opinion is no, the teacher/adult should not be held responsible, whether paid or not. As far as the teacher/adult feeling personally guilty is another issue. However, we are all faced with many "brutally honest" answers to our questions in life. A person, that is not emotionally challenged, should move on if it is not something you want to hear or agree with. It is one persons opinion. Such as this I am posting.
The downfall, again not knowing the mental state of the situation given, would fall on the parents shoulders. Get involved with the kids, know what is going on. Alot of people will give this the thumbs down because I am putting responsibility on the parents. YEP! Too many parents now days let the children run them. Again, my opinion.
2006-10-02 00:22:07 · answer #3 · answered by naughty_mattress_monkey 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No ones actions can be controlled by another. There is however a thing called influence. I can influence my friends in a positive or negative way, and based on that they can react in the same or opposite manner. Everyone seems to want to put the blame on someone else. I did drugs because my parents weren't there for me. Or I like to steal because I was poor. Just because someone tells a person they are ugly and they commit suicide doesn't make them responsible. It just means that they don't have a lot of morals or respect for other human beings. Take for example the other side. If I tell my buddy that he is good at inventing things, do I get a cut of his money if he is successful? Does his success depend soley on me? No. Neither does the flip side. The actions and words of others greatly effect others actions and words. sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Some people are just looking for the negative.
2006-10-02 00:21:01 · answer #4 · answered by RIDLEY 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Of course the teacher shouldn't be sued.Obviously the student had serious mental health issues before the conversation with the teacher.The fact that the student would even consider suicide as an option based on a negative comment reinforces the evidence of their instability.Who should be held responsible?No one or everyone , maybe society in general for propagating the myth that we all must look like anorexic young models to be attractive. What a crock.We should be raising our young people to have good self esteem in all areas then situations like the one you described above would be less likely to happen.The students self worth wouldn't have been dependant on one persons opinion nor would they have given this teacher so much power over them. Even if it was a sincere evaluation and paid for such as in a modeling agency or a musical or acting career, it IS in fact just one persons opinion.Why base your entire self worth on THAT?It's important to keep these things in perspective.
2006-10-02 00:22:29 · answer #5 · answered by Yahooanswerssux 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that they should be held responsible for that at all.
First of all they were being asked for an honest opinion they ASKED it's not like the adult called them ugly. Even if they did its not fair to blame the person who was asked for their honest opinion. Obviously that person would feel REALLY bad about it though.
But if you knew someone had really low self esteem and possibly had issues with depression and what not then there would be a better way to handle a situation than to just say that they thought he/she was ugly... but thats not the question...
2006-10-02 00:16:13 · answer #6 · answered by Bradley 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it would be the teacher's fault. The student was already emotionally disturbed and probably would have done the same thing when someone else said something negative to him. It would not have mattered. So No the teacher is not at fault.
2006-10-02 01:17:16 · answer #7 · answered by Miss Tee 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
ok. i can in reality i can definatly see the teacher being charged with something even if or especially if they were paid.
but. i don't really think the teacher is in the fault because how were they to know the kid was gonna go do that? and they were being honest
2006-10-02 00:11:43 · answer #8 · answered by drtgirlz 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The teacher (adult) didn't do anything wrong. Their opinion was asked for and received. Also, not to mention, everyone should be responsible for their own actions. Not to sound heartless, but...
2006-10-02 00:15:12 · answer #9 · answered by LOVE2LD 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋