Four Way Test

Bill was walking, like every morning to work. He stopped by the local diner for breakfast. He was getting a little hungry. After he paid, tipped, and thanked the waitress, he left the diner and headed to work. He realized he would need money for lunch, but had only $4.36 in his wallet. He had to stop by the bank first. He had to wait in a line at the ATM. The woman in front of him went back to her limo, (Bill thought she must have been rich or something) and Bill inserted his card and pin number. He selected 20 dollars. When he took the money and put it in his wallet, he noticed it was a little too much to be just 20 dollars. There were three extra $100 bills along with the $20! There must have been a mistake. Without thinking a further second he… (A)Went back into the bank and told the bank teller what happened; or (B)Took the money and ran away with it.

If you chose (A), then this is what happened:

After staring at the money for a few seconds, he went inside the bank and told the bank teller what happened. She took the money, and thanked him. She mentioned that she got a call about 5 minutes ago about a lost 300 dollars. Bill waited there for the woman to show up. She finally did. It was the woman in front of him in line. She thanked him, and gave him $50 for his honesty. Now, was it the truth? YES. Was it fair to all concerned? YES. Did it build goodwill and better friendships? YES. Was it beneficial to all concerned? YES. As you can see, it passed the Four-Way test, and Bill even got a reward for his actions. Bill left feeling like a better person.

If you chose (B), then this is what happened:

After staring at the money for a few seconds, he threw the car into gear and drove away. An hour later, at his home, he got a phone call. It was the police. With the help of the security camera, and the records of the ATM, he was fined for $1000 of theft. Now, was it the truth? NO. Was it fair to all concerned? NO. Did it build goodwill and better friendships? NO. Was it beneficial to all concerned? NO. As you can see, it failed the Four-Way test, and Bill even got a fine for his dishonesty.