[identity profile] meaningrequired.livejournal.com 2008-01-24 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
I can't actually answer your poll.

I have the belief that people are trying to do the right thing (by them usually).

There have been times when I knew I was doing the wrong thing by someone else, but it was the right thing for me. I could have done something else that would have been better but it never occurred to me until some years after on reflection.

Its difficult to know at the time, when you're close to the bark and not to the general shape of trees, what the right thing actually is.

This is going to turn into an essay, so I'll stop soon... but who can define what the right thing to do actually is?

Its easy to say "I wish I hadn't said that" but there must have been a reason. I feel the same way about actions, even if you do something thats not the right thing to do, there was probably a reason. To bring it back to the start of my comment, everyone is trying to do their best, usually for themselves, but people usually have reasons for doing things.

[identity profile] chuma.livejournal.com 2008-01-24 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
There's a couple of times I've done the wrong thing. Once screwed me over as a result so I feel I have had my come-uppance on that front. The other time noone got hurt and noone really got wronged... plus I changed the situation when I realised I was being fucking stupid.

All other times, I've just guessed badly or lack of experience in dealing with those situations. Ironically, the times that have hurt me the most have been when I've done the right thing rather than the 'wrong' one; sometimes people just take advantage of those who aren't prepared to fight back.

[identity profile] coffee-lifeform.livejournal.com 2008-01-24 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
I nearly always know what the "right" thing to do is; however, due to having the willpower of a dead cabbage, I nearly never do what the "right" thing to do is.

[identity profile] autodidactic.livejournal.com 2008-01-24 01:26 pm (UTC)(link)
The two big doozies of mistakes I've made were probably the willful ones. The ones where I knew it was the wrong thing, but did it anyway.

Both involved sex and lies.