Yesterday’s Boston Globe had a quick shout-out for a very smart young man that did the right thing by acknowledging errors in his previously published paper. Our news are usually filled with bad guys, so I thought I would bring your attention to some positive news on ethics.
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11 Comments
Thuy Pham posted on December 5, 2012 at 12:57 am
This is a nice tidbit of positive news! I think that it is a good contrast to what happens to whistle-blowers, who are essentially doing the same thing — being honest. It’s a shame that people don’t believe in whistle-blowers’ moral righteousness just because some of them are compensated heavily. In the case of this young man, exposing his mistake would only serve to detract from his own reputation, however, that is ironic, as he clearly will benefit from having his honesty reported.
Oliver Koester posted on December 5, 2012 at 1:31 am
Interesting point about the whistle-blowers. On the topic of the young man I believe the mistake doesn’t detract from his reputation – it should (hopefully) serve to strengthen it. Integrity is one of the most valuable assets a person can have. It can take a lifetime to build up a reputation as an honest person and a moment to destroy it. By admitting a mistake and bringing it to light this is showing honesty and integrity.
Whistle-blowers, though sometimes cast as “snitches” or in a negative light, are simply acting on their value system and maintaining their integrity when those around them or the companies they work for have chosen not too. It is an admirable thing to do.
charlotte posted on December 5, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Wow, good for him! This man probably thought that his reputation would be ruined by doing the right thing but he was actually admired for his honesty. This courageous act of being honest about the mistakes you have made should definitely be encouraged nowadays. Many people these days spend too much time trying to believe what they are doing is honest when in fact it really isn’t. It takes more energy to cover up your wrongs then to just be honest.
Stephen Wong posted on December 5, 2012 at 10:55 pm
As Ghandi said, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” Congratulations to the man, he did the right thing! Mistakes are a part of life that helps us grow as as individuals and ultimately as a society.
Phi posted on December 6, 2012 at 11:54 am
For him to even reread his work from when he was 16 years old now is already a good sign! It’s great that he was upfront about his mistakes. In the end, his actions gives him more credibility and allows readers to trust him more knowing that he will always try to provide accurate facts and data in his writing. He’s a great role model for all college students and writers!
Mohammed posted on December 10, 2012 at 5:32 pm
I agree that the self-reporting of an error that the young man discovered is the best possible response – if the website that applauded him had found it first, he might have been roasted for his error, instead of applauded for his honesty! On the Google Scholar site, the motto they use is ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ – sometimes giants make mistakes, and every body learns that sometimes being wrong will provide the best path to being right in the end.
Cristian Martinez posted on December 11, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Honesty really is the best policy! As others have mentioned before, him actually reporting his error earned him the applause of others while if someone else had discovered the error, it might of been a different story. Kudos to him!
Kanishk Pahuja posted on December 13, 2012 at 1:23 am
This is a very motivating story that helps us keep in mind that honesty is key. It’s definitely good to know that those working with science are being thorough in going through their work and making sure to provide the best and most accurate work they possibly can.
Eugene Mundowa posted on December 16, 2012 at 5:03 am
This is definitely a refreshing thing to read! Genuine integrity in the professional environment with no intended gain really is a reminder to how much incredible hard work is being done to better society. It also just highlights and evaluates he morality of our professionals today who are among the people who define the future. Hopefully this was an eye-opening reminder to society that it is okay to make mistakes and be open about them in hopes of a more transparent society and stimulation for growth.
Zach Barnard posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:53 am
Honesty wins out. It’s the way we put our heads on the pillow at night and get a sound night’s sleep. A thought many people in this world could benefit from.
Stephanie posted on December 20, 2012 at 10:13 am
Congrats to him! I think acknowledging ones mistakes is one the best qualities a person can have. He made the right choice regardless because if he had discovered it and not said anything, it would be much more embarrassing for someone else to have discovered it. Nonetheless it makes him look even smarter for catching a mistake no one else had ever caught.