Everyday Ethics

Your storm shelter has space for one more person. Two neighbours arrive at the same time — one is a child, the other is a doctor. Who gets in?

You’re in charge of food distribution during a famine. Giving more to your village means another will starve. How do you decide?

Someone cuts in front of you in a queue, but you’re too British to say anything. Do you let it go or passive-aggressively sigh until they move?

You get stuck halfway taking off your coat in a crowded shop. Do you ask for help or fight it silently?

You make a private sarcastic comment in a ‘quiet’ voice… which turns out to be loud enough for the entire room. Do you smile or hide?

You’ve been queuing for the toilet for ten minutes before realising it’s the wrong gender. Do you leave or brazen it out?

You trip spectacularly in public. Do you pretend it was a new dance move or just commit to lying there dramatically?

You move someone’s bag to take an empty seat on a bus, only to realise it was saving the spot for their very pregnant partner. Do you move or feign sleep?

You answer a phone call while in a public restroom. Halfway through, the echo makes it obvious where you are. Do you acknowledge it or carry on?

You’re about to give an important work presentation when your laptop screen is mirrored to the projector — and your internet browser is still open with several tabs of ‘research’ you’d really rather not explain. Do you try to style it out as an edgy icebreaker or fake a tech failure and flee the room?

You see your elderly parent driving with an expired licence. Do you report them to the authorities?

You accidentally damage a stranger’s property but no one saw it happen. Do you come forward?

You discover a beloved local charity founder has been skimming funds. Exposing them will destroy public trust and end the charity’s good work. Do you reveal the truth?

You join a queue for the toilet — only to find it’s for the opposite gender. Do you leave or wait anyway?

You whisper something to a friend, assuming it’s private, but the person you’re talking about is right behind you. Do you address it?

Someone asks you a deep question in a noisy room. You guess the answer… and they look horrified. Do you admit you didn’t hear?

You step into a lift, confident you’re alone, and start humming loudly. Then you notice someone’s been standing silently in the corner. Do you acknowledge them?

You notice a stranger has tucked their skirt into their underwear. Do you tell them immediately or quietly ignore it?

You enthusiastically hug someone you think you know — only to realise it’s a stranger. They awkwardly hug back. Do you explain or pretend you meant it?

At a friend’s house, you accidentally use their ensuite bathroom — and clog the toilet. No plunger in sight. Do you confess immediately or try to sneak out?

You watch a stranger avoid paying for public transport. Do you alert the driver?

An ATM dispenses twice the amount you requested. Do you keep it?

You find expensive medicine in a bin, just past its expiration date. Do you use it or give it away?

You’re offered a free first-class seat meant for a military veteran who hasn’t arrived yet. Do you take it?

You see someone you know using a relative’s disabled parking badge. Do you confront them?

A colleague uses a fake ‘service animal’ vest to take their dog everywhere. Do you challenge them?

You witness a bus driver texting at the wheel with passengers on board. Do you report them?

The self-checkout fails to scan expensive items. Do you correct it or walk away richer?

You’re offered a free first-class seat meant for a military veteran who hasn’t arrived yet. Do you take it?

You see someone you know using a relative’s disabled parking badge. Do you confront them?

A colleague uses a fake ‘service animal’ vest to take their dog everywhere. Do you challenge them?

The self-checkout fails to scan expensive items. Do you correct it or walk away richer?

You witness a bus driver texting at the wheel with passengers on board. Do you report them?