Final answer:
Keeping the extra $10 that a cashier mistakenly gives you would be unethical, as it amounts to taking advantage of a mistake. Ethical behavior requires returning the money, recognizing the difference between a windfall and an error at someone else's expense.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a cashier mistakenly gives you $20 back in change when he should have given you just $10, keeping the extra $10 would be unethical, as it involves taking advantage of an error. The ethical action would be to return the extra money to the cashier. This scenario touches on basic principles of ethics and morality, which guide our decisions and actions in situations that test our integrity.
We can relate this to different contexts and how they might affect our perception of money or value. For example, one might view the extra $10 as a windfall similar to freely finding money in the street, but in a retail transaction, the additional money comes from a mistake, which could negatively impact the cashier or the business.
Behavioral economists have pointed out that people often evaluate outcomes relative to a reference point. In the case of the cashier's mistake, the reference point is the proper change you were owed. Therefore, retaining the extra money should be seen as an ethical lapse rather than a gain. It's essential to consider the source of the money. In this instance, the extra $10 is not analogous to found 'mad money,' as it has clear rightful ownership: the store's till. Consequently, taking advantage of such a mistake does not align with ethical behavior.