Life in the performing arts world presents us with moral dilemmas, almost on a daily basis. Here's a fun little quiz we can all take to assess where we fall on the spectrum between Machiavelli and Mother Theresa.
Hypotheticals.
1. You have just been asked to judge a prestigious competition in your field. You run into one of your most beloved mentors at a party. He/she congratulates you on your new position of responsibility and hints rather pointedly that one recent student ought to receive preferential treatment. Unfortunately, you've just reviewed said candidate's work and were not terribly impressed. Do you:
A) Stick to your principals and argue against him/her at the committee meeting
B) Sit back and wait to see how the others on the committee feel and just go with the flow
C) Recuse yourself from debate on this particular individual
D) Try not to influence the debate one way or the other but vote against this person
E) Inform your fellow committee members that said mentor is gunning for this candidate and see how they react
F) Enthusiastically support this individual assuming that your mentor must know something you don't, given his/her vast experience in the field
2. Someone whose work you dislike has just asked you for a recommendation. Do you:
A) Politely decline, making some feeble excuse about your workload.
B) Accept and write them a lukewarm recommendation
C) Bite the bullet and explain your true feelings about their work
D) Feign deafness and look for the nearest fire exit
E) Write them a glowing gushy recommendation that is utter bullshit
3. You've just learned that two friends are collaborating. One of them you greatly admire, the other is one of the most difficult problematic personalities you've ever encountered professionally. Do you:
A) Warn the good pal of the other's issues
B) Try to subtly discourage this collaboration without coming clean about your reasons
C) Have a heart-to-heart with the bad seed and beg him/her to find someone else to destroy
D) Send an anonymous letter to both of them urging them to call it quits
E) Do nothing
4. You've just seen a show in which your dear friend is starring. It's dreadful. But your friend is (as always) quite good. Do you:
A) Tell the truth.
B) Offer a vague "Congratulations!"
C) Pretend you missed the show
D) Find something specific to like and leave it at that
E) Say nothing
There's no grading system here. Grade yourself. And enjoy! Happy Monday! :)
