Case 1: Is BLACK or WHITE?
Once in a small Indian village, a poor farmer was heavily indebted to a village moneylender - an old and ugly man who took fancy on his beautiful daughter. He proposed to forgo the farmer’s debt in return for his daughter’s hands. Both of them were aghasted by the indecent proposal.
The cunning moneylender suggested that they let providence decides the fate. He demanded to put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag and the girl would have to pick one pebble from it.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt forgiven.
2) By refusing to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
3) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would be forgiven as well.
As they were talking on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. The sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put both into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field -
What would you have done if you were the girl? OR
How should you advise her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to pick a pebble.
2. The girl should take both black pebbles out of the bag and expose the cheater.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder how best to resolve the problem. The above story should demonstrate how to appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
Is there a better solution?
Got the answer? The girl was brillant to settle the matter amicably…..
She picked up a pebble from the moneybag. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I had picked.”
Since the remaining pebble is black, the white one must have dropped off. The moneylender would not dare to admit his dishonesty and had to let them go as promised.
See how she changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extreme advantage.
Case 2: LEFT or RIGHT
A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use whilst the other disused. All of them were playing on the operational track and only a child was found on the disused track.
When the train arrived, you were right beside the track interchange.
You have two choices now.
1) To signal the train to change its course to the disused track and saved most of the kids but the lonely child playing by the disused track would be killed.
2) Do nothing and let the train goes its way killing the rest of the children.
What kind of decision do you arrive at?
You may share the same thought as most people to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. It seems like a rational decision morally and emotionally. However, on careful thought that child was doing the right thing to play on the safe disused track and had to be cruelly penalised because his ignorant friends did not bother to do right.
We have to note that the other kids could choose to run away upon hearing the train’s sirens. On the other hand, the lonesome kid would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track!
Also not forgetting the disused track was no longer safe to use and a diversion to this track jeopardised the life of the passengers on board the train at that time. It could end up with more tragedies in an unworthy attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing many more lives!
Such dilemma is posed frequently in our daily lives. For instance, in the political arena of a democratic society, the minority reckoned to be farsighted and knowledgeable is often sacrificed for the interest of the foolish or ignorant majority, without any regret and sympathy.
Life is full of tough decisions that need to think through thoroughly and properly. Do not give in easily when faced with a complex problem. Most hasty decisions made are usually not appropriate.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father’s debt forgiven.
2) By refusing to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
3) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would be forgiven as well.
As they were talking on a pebble strewn path in the farmer’s field, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. The sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put both into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field -
What would you have done if you were the girl? OR
How should you advise her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to pick a pebble.
2. The girl should take both black pebbles out of the bag and expose the cheater.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder how best to resolve the problem. The above story should demonstrate how to appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
Is there a better solution?
Got the answer? The girl was brillant to settle the matter amicably…..
She picked up a pebble from the moneybag. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I had picked.”
Since the remaining pebble is black, the white one must have dropped off. The moneylender would not dare to admit his dishonesty and had to let them go as promised.
See how she changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extreme advantage.
Case 2: LEFT or RIGHT
When the train arrived, you were right beside the track interchange.
You have two choices now.
1) To signal the train to change its course to the disused track and saved most of the kids but the lonely child playing by the disused track would be killed.
2) Do nothing and let the train goes its way killing the rest of the children.
What kind of decision do you arrive at?
You may share the same thought as most people to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. It seems like a rational decision morally and emotionally. However, on careful thought that child was doing the right thing to play on the safe disused track and had to be cruelly penalised because his ignorant friends did not bother to do right.
We have to note that the other kids could choose to run away upon hearing the train’s sirens. On the other hand, the lonesome kid would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track!
Also not forgetting the disused track was no longer safe to use and a diversion to this track jeopardised the life of the passengers on board the train at that time. It could end up with more tragedies in an unworthy attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing many more lives!
Life is full of tough decisions that need to think through thoroughly and properly. Do not give in easily when faced with a complex problem. Most hasty decisions made are usually not appropriate.
