NationStates Jolt Archive

This question was part of a larger personality quiz I took some time ago, I can't for the life of me remember where I found it. :( Anyhow. Point is, I can't take credit for the question.

Back to the matter at hand - is it more important to be right, or to be fair? Feel free to explain why you chose what you choose.

I feel that being right is most important, however, if you aren't fair you'll not give both sides of an argument an equal chance and you'll be right less often usually...so I voted for "Fair"

no such thing as being right as truth is always subjective but i will happily endorse fair.

"fair and balanced" is the best. Fox news seems to think so. HA! that was so funny i forgot to laugh. excluding that last ha. S.G.

"fair and balanced" is the best. Fox news seems to think so. HA! that was so funny i forgot to laugh. excluding that last ha. S.G.
And at Fox, words obviously speak louder than actions...

if you are right then you are being fair by saying so. it would be unfair of you to grant leeway to those who are wrong, actually.

however, if we are talking about debate skills i would say people need to worry more about being fair than about being "right." i would far rather debate with someone interested in fairness than with somebody interested primarily in how "right" they are.

if you are right then you are being fair by saying so. it would be unfair of you to grant leeway to those who are wrong, actually.

however, if we are talking about debate skills i would say people need to worry more about being fair than about being "right." i would far rather debate with someone interested in fairness than with somebody interested primarily in how "right" they are.
Indeed. I'd rather debate with...someone who isn't Letila...

if you are right then you are being fair by saying so. it would be unfair of you to grant leeway to those who are wrong, actually.

however, if we are talking about debate skills i would say people need to worry more about being fair than about being "right." i would far rather debate with someone interested in fairness than with somebody interested primarily in how "right" they are.

Sorry, I phrased the original question badly. ^_^; It can be applied to debating, but I just mean in general. Basically, would you rather be right (but possibly unfair) or fair (but possibly wrong). It's kind of a confusing question to express. o.o; Blah.

Indeed. I'd rather debate with...someone who isn't Letila...

dont be harsh, Letila's only problem is that only has slogans and soundbites rather than actual reasoning. There are plenty of others who use this forum who are just as bad at that.

dont be harsh, Letila's only problem is that only has slogans and soundbites rather than actual reasoning. There are plenty of others who use this forum who are just as bad at that.
I know. Letila was just the first example that came to my mind. I can think of others now. However, I did make some progress with him the other night however, so I'm not going to say he is the worst.

I know. Letila was just the first example that came to my mind. I can think of others now. However, I did make some progress with him the other night however, so I'm not going to say he is the worst.

I guess he does line himself up as a target.

I guess he does line himself up as a target.
I did find out that he is 17 and so I figure it is probably just an "Anarcho-communism!!11!1one!!1" phase that he is going threw and will grow out of. The next phase will probably be totalitarianism, then he'll settle down and find a grip on reality.

I think its most important to be right because if your right it doesnt matter if you were fair

How can you be right and not fair? Or be fair to all and it not be right? They are one in the same.

How can you be right and not fair? They are one in the same.
Exactly my point

I prefer frank and straightforward m'self.

How can you be right and not fair? Or be fair to all and it not be right? They are one in the same.

Not really. Right is relative. One may view social classes as "right", however that doesn't make them fair.

For example, right can be defined as:

"Free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth"
"Correct in opinion or judgment"

You can be correct and following the facts and truth, but still not be fair. Fair can be defined as:

"Showing lack of favoritism"

You can be correct in judgement while showing favouritism, hence you can be right while being unfair.

On the same token, you can also be fair without being right.

If in fact, one group in some random hypothetical situation WAS in fact the better and correct over the other group, to give both groups equal opportunity to carry out their plans (fair) would not be right.

Of course what people consider fair and right differ....

To me, I'd rather be right. Of course I'd rather be both, who wouldn't? But if I had to pick, I'd go with right.

Well, you both make good points. I wasn't neccisarily looking at the complexity of the situations, I was looking at it from a ethical point of view which is also subjective from person to person.

If you know for a fact that you're right, you should still be fair. But I picked fair.

Definetely right is better.

The problem is that many questions do not have clear "right" answers, asolute certainty. When less than certain of your rightness you should strive to be fair. There is no need to be fair when you are absolutely certain you are right and someone else is wrong. There is no need to be fair with someone who says 2+2=37. This must, of course, be tempered with a strong skepticism of what you believe.

In trivial issues (like, say, what the capital of Germany is), I'd rather be right than fair; in bigger issues (like creationalism vs. evolution) I'd rather be fair than right (but being right is still a very close second :p)

Fair is subjective. Except for in simple cases, it's impossible to decide what's fair and not. That means, that for complex issues if the goal is being fair, you will there will always be a lot of people thinking the result was unfair.

Trying to be fair is a sure way of making people unhappy with the result.

Here's a test...
What's more fair:
1. Equal amounts to everybody
2. More to those who need more