She Heard the Other Judges' Opinions at a Charity Bake-Off — Then Changed Her Vote at the Last Minute

p { margin-bottom: 1.125em; } p:first-of-type { margin-top: 1.125em; } Pexels/Reddit Judges are usually expected to make fair and independent decisions. The following story involves a But before the scores were submitted, she heard other judges talk about their opinions and choices. At the last minute, she decided to make changes to her final vote which created an uncomfortable situation. Read the full story below for all the details. AITA for changing my answer that I was going to give after hearing everyone else's? I joined a local charity fundraiser where volunteers judged a baking contest. Before the tasting started, we were all reminded to score each dessert independently and not discuss them until the end. After trying everything, I had one dessert as my clear favorite and wrote my scores on a notepad. But we hadn't turned them in yet. This woman heard the opinions of other judges and decided to change her scores. While we were waiting, a few of the other judges started talking anyway and absolutely trashed the dessert I'd picked. They pointed out a couple of things I hadn't even considered. After thinking about it, I changed my scores before handing them in. That ended up changing the final results by one point. Now, people were saying she should have stuck with her original score. When the organizer found out I'd changed my scores after hearing other opinions, they said I should've stuck with my original judgment. Because the whole point was independent scoring. A few people agreed and said I'd unintentionally made the judging less fair. Others said I was allowed to reconsider because nobody forced me to change my mind and better arguments are supposed to make people rethink things. I honestly don't know if I crossed a line or if I just made a more informed decision. AITA? I can understand why OP reconsidered after hearing arguments she genuinely had not considered before. However, since the judges were specifically instructed to score independently, changing the scores afterward did undermine the process a little bit. If you were in her shoes, would you have done it differently? Let's find out what others have to say about this. Never Miss a Story Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox. This user shares their personal thoughts. I get both sides, says this one. This one makes a valid point. If you enjoyed this story, Here are a few questions. Finally, people are calling OP out. Peer pressure can sometimes influence us more than we realize. Enjoyed this story? Readers who liked this also read Author Heide Lazaro is a veteran human-interest writer and digital culture expert with over a decade of experience in editorial strategy. Specializing in lifestyle, social dynamics, and the internet's most compelling stories, Heide has authored and published more than 10 books online. Beyond her daily reporting, she is a dedicated motivational speaker who helps audiences connect through the power of storytelling. When she isn't sifting through the web's wildest real-life drama, Heide is an avid runner, painter, and novel-enthusiast fueled by a truly excellent cup of coffee. Categories: Tags: ·