Decision Making

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................

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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."

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