ANALYZE THINK & REFLECT
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. It was not possible to stop the train, but you could make the train change its course to the disused track and save 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??? Think of the kind of decision you could make... yes? Or no?
Analyze......
Think......
and reflect......
decided your answer?
Yes? You would change the track?
Most of the people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. To save most of the children at the expense of only one child was a rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally.
But, did you ever consider the fact 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 has to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. Sounds familiar????
This kind of dilemma happens around us every day. In the office, community, in politics and especially in democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majorities are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minorities are.
The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
To make the proper decision is not to try to change the course of the train because the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that, that track was still in use, and that they should have run away when they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train would 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 our attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, we might just end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids who were wrong in the first place.
While we are aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realise that a hasty decision 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.
