Decision making - an interesting insight

 An interesting insight into Decision Making

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> 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 great critic Leo Velski Julian who told 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.