Whose Fault? - Writers Forum

theCloudsTears · 04-16-2005, 11:03 AM

Okay this was a debate that started in my English class the other day and somehow it relates to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet I would like to know what the people here think.

Okay: If you go to your friend/parent/spouse and ask them for help in a situation and they give you advice but from that advice something worse happens or you get in trouble. Is the person who gave you that advice also at fault or to blame for what happened to you?

I think that it wouldn't be their fault since you still had the chance and choice on whether or not to take their advice. Does anyone feel differently? Or was my teacher just arguing with me for the sake of arguing?Or perhaps I was being difficult?

valeca · 04-16-2005, 11:17 AM

We are responsible for our own actions/decisions.

If you choose to take advice, you are responsible for the consequences. Even if they knowingly gave you bad advice, it is you who chose to act on it. I like to think this is where making an 'informed decision' comes into play.

If your teacher argued the opposite, s/he was probably playing devils advocate for the sake of the discussion.

EDIT: This, of course, doesn't as heavily apply to young children. If my 9yo daughter comes to me and says, "Hey, mom, should I play on the street?" And I answer, "Yes." I'm the one responsible for the consequences.

theCloudsTears · 04-16-2005, 11:33 AM

She probably was playing devil's advocate like she normally does, but oh well. And yes there is the exception to young children.

Maithias · 04-16-2005, 01:04 PM

You'll find some people that are loathe to offer advice, though, because of that very possibility. Advice is a dangerous thing. I'd hate to know that I had a hand in someone elses bad goings.

I think that giving bad advice is, in a small way, the giver's fault. Of course, the reciever should not blame this person, but perhaps the giver should reflect on their mistakes and learn from them.

~Maith

mammamaia · 04-17-2005, 08:45 AM

i'm on your side... with the caveat valeca added...

eggo · 04-17-2005, 04:44 PM

What a load of crap. Each person is responsible for their own actions (children aren't people). If someone told you to jump off a cliff and you did, would they be a murderer?

Of course not, although it would fittingly Darwinian.

My favorite type of people are pollsters. I call them that because they wander around asking everybody and their mother their opinion on a particular subject. They keep asking people like a collective poll, giving each equal weight . So by asking amongst a group of people this will somehow give them the ultimate insight.
Somehow a committee is smarter than an individual, regardless of the members .
In reality these people just keep asking until they hear what they want to hear.

I would equate this to someone reading the wall above the urinal that the world had ended several times and then commit seppuku because of it.

Anybody who takes advice from an idiot and follows it is acting like an idiot.

Smurf Mamita · 04-17-2005, 05:29 PM

"children aren't people"

How horrible was that? They are people. It's just that they aren't as capable of making wise decisions because of their lack in experience.

Pendulum · 04-17-2005, 06:39 PM

Hehe, that made my day. But of course children are people. Just little, irresponsible people.

Kane · 04-17-2005, 06:43 PM

As opposed to the billions of bigger, irresponsible people roaming the globe.

Smurf Mamita · 04-17-2005, 08:25 PM

getting off topic here...

I know I started it...but...we're getting off topic.

People are responsible for their own decisions. Nobody else should be held responsible.

Talia_Brie · 04-17-2005, 08:50 PM

If someone is maliciously offering people bad advice, don't they have some responsibility when things go bad? Aren't they to blame if there is some malice involved?

theCloudsTears · 04-18-2005, 07:16 AM

They could be held respinsible for their malicious actions but the person he/she is offereing advice to still has the choice on whether or not to take their advice.

mammamaia · 04-18-2005, 11:38 AM

those who would follow maliciously-given destructive advice are guilty of terminal stupidity, so the world would be better off without them... and, if they'd take the advice-givers with them, they'd qualify for medals, in my book...

just kidding... maybe

Oracle · 04-19-2005, 09:30 PM

It really is one's choice whether they accept advice or not. If I blindly followed every suggestion made to me then I'd probably be somebody new every hour, what with all the contradicting suggestions I'd recieve.

bobothegoat · 04-19-2005, 10:28 PM

[ot:7401d4c758]It's whose fault.[/ot:7401d4c758]

In the case of Romeo and Juliet, they were minors, so I guess the advice giver was at fault...