That was a very good story. Thanks for forwarding it.

On 4/21/06, Nayanjyoti Medhi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

The story given below is  quite interesting and really gives us an
insight into 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......
No cheating...

 

 



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.


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