Decision Making

Have you ever had wrong decisions in life? Well, you may say Yes and a lot of times but have we ever thought to analyse, evaluate and reflect why we end up making wrong decisions? Here’s a very interesting story I received in my email box. The story gives us an insight into Decision Making.

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.......

First, analyse the situation
Think, evaluate and reflect…….
Assess risks and
Decide your answer!

Now … go ahead….

Most 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 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

(Just last night in the news here in our country, the majority of the Congressman won over the Minority one in fight for not pursuing the Impeachment case of the President. How about the very controversial envelope during the Impeachment trial of a former President? “To open or not to open” well, as expected “not to open” won the majority of the votes).

To continue the story…

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.

To make the proper decision is not try to change the course of the train because 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 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 (lol!)

I had a miscarriaged

Having a miscarriage, even at a very early stage in pregnancy, is traumatic. Guilt compound my misery - seems like a miscarriage is my fault that everything I did and ate had caused the miscarriage... My case is missed abortion, the fetus dies and is not spontaneously expelled so I had to undergone dilation and curettage. It was one of the difficult times of our lives, it was a planned pregnancy and we saw it developing through ultrasound until it was 8 weeks old when the doctor told us the bad news.

I allowed myself to grieve, I was never over it until after 4 months after when I learned that I am pregnant again. Although, the fear of miscarriage keeps my joy guarded, I can not deny the fact that getting pregnant again as soon as it is safe is possibly the best therapy I had.

Some expectant women like me refrain from spreading the happy news until the fourth month, when we begin to feel secure that the pregnancy will indeed continue. But I have learned that though its hard for parents to accept it at the time, when a miscarriage does occur it is usually a blessing. Early miscarriage is generally a natural selection process in which a defective fetus is discarded, probably because it is incapable of survival or is overwhelmingly defective. Most women who have had one miscarriage do not become habitual aborters. In fact a miscarriage is an assurance of fertility, and the great majority of women who lose a pregnancy this way go on to complete one.

My doctor suggest waiting three to six months before trying to conceive again. I took advantage of this waiting period - I spend it improving my diet and health habits, hoping that this time around I'll have normal pregnancy and a healthy baby. I am on my third month and counting and crossing fingers and leaving it all to Him...

Annoying Phone Calls

One busy day, as I was attending a big client call and expecting to close a sale, my phone keep on ringing that I have to ask an excuse from my client to answer my phone. To my dismay, it was just from a credit card company offering me to apply and giving other loan options that they have this personal loan salary etc. I told the girl on the line that I am not interested and so I hang up my phone and put it off. Same number called me for several days, same credit card company and same thing I told them that I am not interested and ask them to stop calling me.

As I am on my way to my prospect client to finally close the sale my phone rang, it was again from that credit card company informing me that they approved a salary loan for me and check was sent to my residence address. She further told me that if I wish to return the check it would just be fine and I will have no obligations with them to pay other charges and just deposit back the check to their account. With this, I got irritated and immediately complain the matter to their customer service and fortunately I happen to search this site where you can report annoying phone calls. I want others to know what to expect from that number.