Imagine if you will a local store keeper. He has an emergency. For whatever reason it’s important to him that he not close and miss out on sales.
So he leaves a Folger’s can near the register and a sign asking for customers to pay the amount tagged on the items.
Assuming they are alone and no one is watching... There are different kinds of people.
I’m happy to be the kind who adds up and checks the total twice and leaves as much as my tab, plus tax, or more if I can’t make change.
Others may leave. That’s acceptable.
Some may rationalize that they’ve been wronged before somewhere along the way, by the store or the product manufacturers or life and they may pay a lesser amount they deem “fair.”
Others will choose not to pay at all.
Some will look both ways before taking some money from the can.
Some will unabashedly steal as much as they can, plus whatever is in the can.
I argue there’s a narrow range of what’s actually right and you should do if you have any character.
I know many of you choose to steal content, whether you rationalize that it’s because you’ve been wronged, or others do it, or no one is looking, or there’s no actual law against streaming unlicensed content, or you’re just a thief. That’s okay, it’s your choice. Just own that you’re in a category other than the person who can be trusted to pay what you owe.
What you do when no one is looking says everything about who you are.