Is it better to do the right thing for the wrong reason, or the wrong thing for the right reason?

Answer 1

It is never right to do the wrong thing for any reason. If you are doing the right thing, it should be for the right reason. Anytime you do something solely for your benefit, and others may be harmed by your action, it is the wrong thing to do-whether it is right or wrong. I think I am confusing myself. lol

Answer 2

It is always better to do the right thing, even if you think it is for the wrong reason. However, what you really need to be asking how do I know what is the right or wrong thing to do? Not all people would have the same definitions. I think the way you need to look at it is- would you feel guilty for doing the said thing? if so, it's probably not a good idea. Doing the right thing is sometimes a very hard thing to do- and it may have some difficult consequenses. You need to think of the greater good, and what/who your actions will effect in the future. Also, if it was the wrong thing, how could it be for the right reason? We have rules and laws for a reason and usually they serve a purpose and are for our protection. Yes, they can very much be exploited and abused- and we should do our best to fight that, but it is someone else' wrong choice- and we can't change others. We can only change ourselves.

Answer 3

Purpose is what leads us through life. Everyone is does the right thing for the right reason at the time of the action. Because, if not, he would not have done it, maybe in retrospect the doer feels he did the wrong thing or for the wrong reason, but at the moment of action he was ignorant to this. So, it does not matter if it's better to do the right thing for the wrong reason, or the wrong thing for the right reason because in reality you can never know but after the action is done. And fixating on past actions can leave you stranded in life.

Answer 4

It is better to do the right thing for the right reason than to do the wrong thing for the wrong reason.

Answer 5

I believe it is better to do the wrong thing for the right reason. If you are holding true to what you honestly believe in, then bucking a tradition is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. At least you'll be able to sleep at night if you do something for the right reason.

Doing the right thing for the wrong reason really will just come back to bite you, like if you married a girl just because you got her pregnant but you didn't really love her or want to marry her... it might be the "right thing" to marry her, but that's the wrong reason and might lead to a very unhappy family unit that will eventually dissolve.

Answer 6

It's better to give the right answer for the wrong reason than ask the wrong question for the right reason.

Answer 7

Or do the ends justify the means? It really depends on the situation. Right thing for the wrong reason is better, in my opinion. I'm familiar with the dire results of some so-called "right reasoning." The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Answer 8

I think it's better to do the wrong thing for the right reason.

To do the right thing for the wrong reason is easy when you're the person doing it. For example, a person that gives to charity to just get a tax break. They are helping themselves and will generally not be looked down at for their actions.

But when you're a person doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, it takes a lot more courage. For an example, an intelligence officer knows he must do something illegal and go to jail for his actions, but his actions would save his country. It takes a strength of character rarely found to do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Answer 9

right thing for the wrong reason. its morally the better one. but depending on the situation, wrong thing for the right reason could be just as good.

Answer 10

Morally, for me, doing the wrong thing for the right reason would be better.