Do you think it is OK to do something "correct" for the wrong reasons?

Question

For example, in a multiple choice test question, 1/2 the people chose the correct answer because they actually knew their stuff and 1/2 the people chose the correct answer because they guessed correctly but they have no clue why the answer is that answer.

Given that scenario and applied to real life situations, like having the wrong reasons to support a cause because they were misinformed or underinformed, do you think it still matters what the reasons were if they voted "right"?

I realize this question becomes shady for some topics and let us just assume that the topic we are discussing has a known 'right' answer.

Answer 1

There is not a simple "yes" or "no" answer for this question.

There are times when it may be fine, and times when it is not. In the case of the person taking the test: On the one hand, it is better in a way that someone who may know most of the other answers gets to do better on the test because of a guess; but on the other hand, there is an aim in taking some course, and there is a purpose to a test, and if neither of those is met then the correct answer (by accident) isn't really ok.

At the same time, the person who has nothing to do at, say, Christmas and who decides to alleviate his own loneliness or boredom by volunteering at a soup kitchen is also doing something that will benefit others; so maybe that's no such a bad thing. Supporting a cause but being poorly informed is not ok. For example, the person who wants to do something about eliminating public smoking could sign up for some extremist-type group who wants a law that will allow police to go into people's homes and seize cigarettes; but the poorly informed supporter of this group doesn't realize how extreme it is and just thinks its a "basic" anti-smoking group.

Sometimes people are paid to do some kind of work that will help other people rather than doing that work for free. Is that wrong? No. Still, if someone disregards what is good for other people or himself and does something just for money then that isn't ok.

Questions to ask are: Is there an intended purpose for something and will the "wrong reason" work in favor of that or against it? Will the thing help the person doing it, help others, or help both the person and others? Is the motivation sinister? (The person who volunteers at the local food pantry in order to steal while at the same time doing legitimate work has a sinister motive.) Is the person being true to himself? (There is definitely something to be said for that.)

The answer to this question depends on the situation and may be "yes" or may be "no", but may also fall somewhere on a scale inbetween and require individual consideration with regard to who benefits, what the motives are, what the purpose is, etc.

Answer 2

Well, ignorant people always think they're doing the right thing, because they don't know anything else. Catholics, for example, do it all the time. They sincerely worship virgin Mary... but they are sincerely wrong ;) And there's no excuse for that, because you can always know better...

Answer 3

You do what you KNOW when you know better, you DO better.

That's the only way I can answer this question, and if it's wrong....well

Good luck!

Answer 4

wow

Answer 5

only if your keeping score