From: Emlyn O'regan (oregan.emlyn@healthsolve.com.au)
Date: Fri Jun 07 2002 - 00:01:05 MDT
Barbara wrote:
What would be the right thing to do in the following situation?
You pay $20 for a desk at a garage sale. You take the desk home and
decide
to take out all the drawers to give them a good cleaning. Pulling out
the
middle drawer, you notice a button that had been hidden by the drawer.
You
press the button and a secret compartment springs open, revealing a
stash of
$10,000 cash. Do you consider the cash a bonus, rightfully yours since
you
purchased the desk? Or do you return the $10,000 to the seller?
Barbara Lamar
--- In the guise of the "nicer society" player about whom I've posted before, I'd return the $10,000. Because - It wasn't part of the deal; it's clearly a mistake. - Someone is going to notice and follow up eventually. - *Most importantly*, if it were my $10,000, I'd want it returned, thus I return the $10,000. - Interestingly, by a similar convention to that which requires me to return the $10,000 (which is a "play nice" convention), I can also expect some kind of reward for playing nice (because nice players reward and encourage altruism), so I may get some slice of the $10,000. Just as it would be poor form for me to demand a reward, it would be poor form for the other party not to offer one. However, I might accept at most minimal reward, a token. If this exchange is played out well, I probably end up making long term friends with the seller :-) Emlyn *************************************************************************** Confidentiality: The contents of this email are confidential and are intended only for the named recipient. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any use, reproduction, disclosure or distribution of the information contained in the e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please reply to us immediately and delete the document. Viruses: Any loss/damage incurred by using this material is not the sender's responsibility. Our entire liability will be limited to resupplying the material. No warranty is made that this material is free from computer virus or other defect.
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