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Decision Making
Which
one will you choose?
A
group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while
the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest
on the operational track. The train came, and you were just beside the
track interchange. You could make the train change its course to the disused
track and saved most of the kids.
However,
that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would
be sacrificed. Or
would you rather let the train go its way?
Let's
take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make.
...
Proceed reading after you have make your decision
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.... Ready
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... Sure ?
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Most
people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one
child.
You
might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, I thought the same way initially
because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was
rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you
ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact
made the right decision to play at a safe place? Nevertheless, he had to be
sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger
was.
This
kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in
politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often
sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant
the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are.
The
child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was
sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
The friend who forwarded me the story said he would not try to change the course
of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track
should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should
have run away if they heard the train's sirens.
If
the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he
never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover,
that track
was
not in use probably because it was not safe.
If the train was diverted
to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake!
And
in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up
sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.
While
we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we
may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.
"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."