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.

YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION BEFORE YOU PROCEED! THE TRAIN WON'T STOP
TO WAIT FOR YOU!


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 howminority 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
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."

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils