Verb
do the decent thing (third-person singular simple present does the decent thing, present participle doing the decent thing, simple past did the decent thing, past participle done the decent thing)
(idiomatic) To take the most honourable or appropriate course of action, even if is not necessarily in the person's own interests.
Mr Speaker, will the Prime Minister do the decent thing and resign?
I sometimes wonder how many of these lifetime achievement awards you can accept before you have to do the decent thing and die. James Taylor