Week 3: Mental Skills - Dilemmas

[Prof. Alexander Brighton]

As a jedi, one of your main tasks will be to ensure peace and stability in the universe and act as a voice of reason and a force for good in the world. Often it is easy to see which path you must choose to accomplish that – and hopefully your understanding of the Force will help you see it even more clearly, but there will be times when it is not so easy to determine what the correct course is. Therefore it is good to have considered some of these dilemmas before so you've become good at determining how to make a choice when all options have both good and ill outcomes attached to them.
Give your answer to these moral dilemmas and remember to include an explanation as to why you chose one action over the other. There is no word limit, but your answer must show that you understand the consequences of your actions and why you are choosing as you do.

a.
You are on a spaceship when suddenly the alarm blares; the ship has been damaged by a small asteroid and you must all abandon ship and evacuate.
You make your way to the escape-pods and see that each one is able to hold ten people. You wait until everyone else is on theirs since you know there will be enough for everyone, but when your time comes you realise there's a problem; there are two escape-pods left and fifteen people, but one of them has a defect which means that in order to keep lifesupport going long enough that rescue will almost certainly reach it in time, it will need all ten occupants working it in shifts. If they are only nine they might still be able to make it, but their chances will be greatly reduced. The other escape-pod is working perfectly and will without a question be able to support all occupants far longer than it will take for rescue to arrive.
None of the others know this yet though since they haven't been educated in the same way you have, and it is up to you to decide which pod you enter and how many others you guide into each pod.
1. How many do you place in each pod?
2. Where do you go?
3. What are the (likely) consequences of your choices?
4. Why did you choose the way you did?

b
For this one you will pretend that you are already a jedi and you are involved in the education of younglings just like yourself. One of the younglings has been doing really well all through their education up until this point and very soon will be facing the final trials that will determine if they will be chosen as a padawan and become a jedi knight, or will be forced to join one of the far more humble occupations open to those not chosen as padawans. The last couple of months this student has been sick and unable to follow their lessons though and you've found out that they cheated on one of their exams. You of course have them redo the exam – cheating will never be tolerated – and they do well. They truly are a stellar student who would be a wonderful padawan and likely graduate to become a knight and a great force for good in the universe.
You know however, that if you enter into their records that they cheated, they would probably never get this chance and would never fulfil this potential.
1. Do you enter it into the records?
2. Why did you choose the way you did?

c.
An error has caused the air to become unbreathable in the section of the base you're in. You have a mask so you are able to go in and rescue the others in there, but unfortunately your mask wouldn't fit them so your only chance of saving them is to get them out and into an area where the air is breathable.
You enter a room with two people in it and immediately recognize one of them; it's your best friend and she doesn't look all that good. However, the other person in the room whom you only know in passing is very ill. If you rescue your friend first it is very unlikely you will be able to save both. If you rescue your friend second she will have about a 50% chance of making it.
1. Who do you rescue first?
2. Why did you choose the way you did?

*You are welcome to answer this question as yourself, but you are also more than welcome to answer as your character. Just make sure everything stays HOL appropriate.

Post your answers below by 11.59 pm on the 31st of May to earn 5 points. If you have a lot to say about some of the dilemmas and not so much on one of them, you may choose to do only two of the dilemmas, just make sure that it shows in the length of your replies to the two you chose.

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

a)
1. I put ten people in the broken pod (myself and nine others) and the rest in the one with no problems.
2. Into the broken pod.
3. In the best case scenario, we all survive until the rescue team reaches us. Worst case scenarios, all people in the malfunctioning escape pod are severely hurt, have long-lasting brain damage or die.
4. I believe that this is the best way of making sure that as many people as possible, if not all, survive. Sure, you can put ten people in the functioning escape pod, but that would mean five people are sentenced to certain death since the chances are greatly reduced even with only nine people. Since I made the decision, I will also go to the broken escape pod and bear the most of the work to make sure as many as possible people survive since I have the knowledge and can direct them.

b)
1. No, I do not enter it in the records.
2. The youngling has a great mind, which they showed multiple times in the past. One small mistake should not dictate their future. It is not as if they cheated out of malice, but rather desperation. Due to the sickness, they had no time to study. They proved their willingness to correct their mistake when they retook the exam and they did it brilliantly. I would use that as a teachable moment and made them make up for it in another way.

c)
1. I rescue the very ill person I do not know first.
2. My friend looks better and while they might die if I do not get to them first, there is 50% chance of it. If I do not rescue the seriously ill person, they will surely not make it. I go by the principle where those people more in need to attention have priority in the rescue.

[February Fortescue]

a.
1. I would put 10 people in the damaged pod and 5 people in the working pod.
2. I would place myself in the damaged pod
3. The most likely consequence is that all 15 of us will survive
4. If I am in the broken pod, I can adequately explain the situation and hopefully keep everyone motivated to cooperate and work in shifts, so everyone will have a good chance at survival. Any other division would potentially put lives at risk, when there's no real need to do so.

b.
1. Yes, I would enter it into the records.
2. There are many tests and trials while becoming a padawan, and one of those is knowing what to do if you are being tested and are sick and unable to keep up and may potentially fail a test. While we all have a light and a dark side, a huge part of training is to learn to accept the two forces within ourselves and then choose the best option, which is usually not cheating. Explaining the situation to your trainer and finding a way to work around it is one viable choice, because if your trainer thinks you're a good enough padawan, they'll find a way to work with you. Cheating should only be chosen as a last resort, and only in dire situations, such as when lives are at stake and you're being confronted with a cheater. Sometimes the ends do justify the means. But not very often.

c.
1. I'd rescue the ill person first.
2. This would be a very difficult choice. I don't know why the person is ill or their chances of surviving, regardless of the current situation, while, based on the scenario, it sounds like my friend is healthy. But if I leave the sick person, I will be condemning them to death, but if I choose that sick person, my friend still has a chance of surviving. I'd prefer to go with the odds for the best outcome for everyone, and therefore I'd choose the very ill person.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

As Lufta --
a.
1. How many do you place in each pod? * Pod 1 - works fine - 5 people. Pod 2 - defective - 10 people.
2. Where do you go? * Pod 2
3. What are the (likely) consequences of your choices? * Likely consequences - everybody lives.,
4. Why did you choose the way you did? * If 10 people are needed to work the pod, to make sure it remains viable, then 10 people are needed. That's what 'is'. I do not think that I can cover for sequential shifts of 5 people so it'd be silly for me to think I can do that. But I know I can cover for shifts for people, as well as do my own shift, if they become sick and unable to do their shift, partially or wholly, if I have a break between shifts. So I'm just planning to do what is needed and keep everyone safe.

b.
1. Do you enter it into the records? * Yes.
2. Why did you choose the way you did? * It is what is true. Also, I figure that the other, more knowledgeable, Jedi already know that the person cheated. Everyone has an aura, their own personal energy field, and it reflects the conditions of the person. There is a particular 'aura' around people who cheat (unless they are a sociopath who has lied and believe their own lies and they have a different kind of aura). Thing is, part of the testing of being a Jedi is making mistakes and owning up to them -- both to themselves and to others. A person who lies and cheats, and pretends to be honorable, is not someone who would actually be a good Jedi -- until they face that in themselves and choose otherwise. I'm not doing the person any favours if I, myself, lie about them.

c.
1. Who do you rescue first? * If rescuing means carrying them or otherwise assist them to the area they can breath, I choose to take them both at the same time. I can carry the one who is sick over my shoulder and tug along my friend, supporting most of her weight if need be.
2. Why did you choose the way you did? * I want them both to live. I'm strong. Even if I only get my friend part way there, while carrying the other one, I've improved her chances of survival immensely if she can stagger out the rest of the way -- or at least she is closer to the safe area when I drop off the sick person and go back to get her, I can get to her that much faster.

[Mia Fountain]

A.
1. I would place myself and 9 others in the damaged pod, the other 5 would go into the working pod.
2. Into the damaged pod.
3. The likely consequence is that the undamaged pod will get to safety without issue, and the damaged pod will have a higher chance of rescue with all 10 people in it.
4. I chose this way to have a higher chance of preserving as much life as possible. If I hadn't put 10 people in the damaged pod, everyone in it likely wouldn't survive long enough to be rescued.

B.
1. Yes, I would enter in into the records.
2. I chose to enter in into their records, because they did cheat. And the youngling should have found some way to notify myself or the other Jedi in charge of teaching them to ensure they stayed up to date with their lessons as best as possible and possibly delayed the exam until the youngling was well enough to take it. I would also note that they did well on the makeup exam in their records as well.

C.
1. I will rescue the ill person first.
2. I chose to rescue the ill person because that way I would have a better chance of saving both people. If had rescued my friend first, the ill person likely wouldn't survive.

[Isa Vestal]

a)
1. I would place five of the people into the fully functional escape pod while going into the one with the defect along with the other nine leftover people.
2. I would go in the damaged escape pod.
3. That everybody would likely survive, though myself and the nine other people are at slightly more risk of making it to safety.
4. Because it optimizes the results. If a smaller number of occupants ride in the defected pod, the people inside will likely not survive due to not being able to keep life support running. A larger number cannot be sustained. On this basis, ten people must go on the escape pod with the defect. As someone who is likely more knowledgeable in machinery and space travel, I would opt to go on the pod with a defect because I would be more prepared than the other passengers. In addition, I could make sure that they are performing their duties to keep life support moving whereas I wouldn't be able to do that as effectively from the other escape pod.

b.
1. No, I wouldn't.
2. I know that cheating is will not be tolerated and that the student should be held accountable. However, I simultaneously understand that the Jedi Order is unlikely to take this case of cheating as lightly as I took it, potentially damaging the life of the youngling. As someone who understands that it was their passion to be a great Jedi that drove them to do this, I would tell the youngling that they must be more careful in guarding from recklessness and let them off on a warning. In addition, letting this student off is bound to do more good than harm. It would show that Jedi are compassionate and willing to see the good in others. Though integrity and honesty are important, humanity and mercy are more so. I would, of course, still remember this incident and keep a closer eye on the youngling in the future but I would most definitely not notify other Jedi of this occurrence unless more were to take place.

c.
1. I would rescue my friend first.
2. I wouldn't do this necessarily for selfish purposes, though my friendship with them would definitely be an added reason. The person who is very ill could have a very short life in front of them, even if I were to save them first there wouldn't even be a guarantee that they would survive past tomorrow given their condition. By saving the ill person first, I may be condemning my best friend to death while simultaneously saving someone who only had a short amount of time left. On the other hand, by saving my best friend first, I would be able to ensure that at least one life was lived to it's fullest. This would, of course, leave the ill person in danger of dying but there is also a higher likelihood that they have already gotten the chance to say goodbye to their friends and family and accepted their own prevailing death. The same is not true of my best friend as they are still young and have a long prospective life ahead of them. Of course, if in that situation, I would first attempt to carry both of them as not to cause this dilemma.

[Lorainia Riverrider]

a. I would explain to the remaining people what was going on. I would explain that in order for us all to likely survive, the best thing to do would be for me and nine others to go in the problem pod and the five others should go into the other pod. The pod with five people is very likely to make it unharmed until help arrives. The problem pod is more likely to make it to safety with ten people in it than it is if less people are in it. This could cause severe consequences for the problem pod, but I feel like this is the best way to get everyone to safety.
b. In this case, since the student was able to pass the exam when taking it again, I would not report the cheating in their records. The reason for this is everyone has or will make a mistake at some point and everyone deserves a second chance. I will have a discussion with the youngling and make sure that understand that cheating will not be tolerated and if it happens again they will not be chosen for padawan and will lose their honor.
c. In this dilemma, I would first assess the situation. Since my friend looks a little better then the stranger, I would rescue the stranger first. I know this drops my friends rate of survival, but if I don't rescue the stranger first there won't be any hope of recovery for them.

[Prof. Will Lestrange]

Scenario a
1) I try to get as many people as possible, including myself, in the functional pod: this means that 10 people will go into the functioning pod and the other 5 will go into the defective pod.
2) I will be one of the 10 people in the functioning pod, leading nine others with me.
3) I would expect five casualties (the five people in the defective pod) and ten survivors (the ten people, including myself, in the functioning pod).
4) I chose the way I did because survival in the defective pod would require ten trustworthy people who can be depended on to follow orders, understand their mission, and do what's needed to be done to keep life support functioning. So, if there were nine other people I trusted in the group, I could lead them all with me into the defective pod and we could survive. However, assuming that there aren't other trustworthy people in the group (no one else has taken jedi training, for example), my working assumption is "everyone in the working pod will live; everyone in the defective pod will die". Based on that assumption, it only makes sense to get as many people into the working pod as possible!

Scenario b
1) I only record the student's final score, showing mastery of performance. I do not record that the student tried to cheat on an earlier run of the exam.
2) The career assignment system seems to be cruel and unforgiving, looking for reasons to eliminate people from the limited number of slots of people who can become padawans as opposed to giving people opportunities to shine and prove themselves. As such, I would not expect my star student (who is well qualified for the position, based on the prompt) to trust the system to make allowances for their sickness. Because the student would be such a great padawan, I feel that they deserve the chance to become one! More importantly, looking forward, I will ensure there are clear procedures that allow students who are sick to request accommodations for their illnesses without losing their eligibility - and that the students in question know that such procedures exist!

Scenario c
1) I will rescue the very sick acquaintance first and then come back for my closer friend.
2) The scenario doesn't mention one important detail: what is the probability that the person rescued first will survive (and is it different depending on which one it is)? I'm going to assume that both people would have a 100% chance of survival if they were rescued first - so the choices are "my friend is guaranteed to live and the other person almost definitely will die" vs "the other person is guaranteed to live and my friend has a 50/50 chance of making it". Even though I don't blindly trust in others, I can hope that the 50/50 chance works out in favour of my friend - and I'd rather have a solid chance at rescuing everyone than knowing that one of the other people is going to die just because I didn't have the chance to get to know them well enough! (note that while this looks, on the surface, very similar to the choice for Scenario a, there are differences - e.g. trusting nine relatively unknown to follow my order - that caused me to make a very different decision)

[Iverian Gnash]

Scenario A:
1. I would explain to the group what was taking place and then choose nine of the strongest people there to go with me into the defective pod since we have the biggest chance of survival. Everyone else would go into the other pod.
2. I go into the defective pod.
3. The likely consequences of my choice are that we'll able to keep the pod working until help arrives. If one of our members becomes too weak, they can rest while the rest of us work harder to keep us stable.
4. Survival is important, so I can see why some would put ten people in the working pod and sentence the other five to death, but there is a large possibility that we would be fine if we simply put ten into the malfunctioning pod. The question simply is: Do we automatically kill five people or do we take a chance that ten people could die though there's a large possibility they'd be fine?

Scenario B:
1. I do not enter it into records.
2. The stress of certain situations can lead people to do things they otherwise wouldn't have, so I think everyone deserves a second chance and since they retook it and did well, I don't think that incident should ruin their entire futures.

Scenario C:
1. Yeah, no, sorry human I only know in passing, but I've got to go for my friend.
2. My best friend would have been my support system through life and I couldn't live myself if they weren't with me so I'd save my best friend first. I'd, of course, rush back to save the second person if they had made it and no one else had saved them before I could run back.

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

-- Scenario A:
* 1. I would decide to place 10 people in the Functional Pod, and 5 in the Defective pod. I explain the situation to those in the Functional Pod that if any are willing to, having 4 more people in the Defective Pod could save (or lose) 4 more lives at an offhanded risk. However, having 5 more people would give us a fairly high chance of everyone's survival, yet is still not certain and could also result in another life lost. Additionally, if more than 5 people are willing to board onto the defective Pod, I explain that they may choose someone to swap places with should both parties agree to do so, but that otherwise my decision(s) regarding who would be positioned on each pod would be set and final. The major restriction being that no one may trade places until all 10 spots were filled. Once the defective Pod is completely full, anyone would be in a position to swap in and out with one another regardless of their reasoning, assuming both parties agree.

* 2. I am in the Defective Pod as a means of demonstrating my personal feelings on the matter.

* 3. The likely consequence is that enough people will step up to the plate to save all 15 lives; Otherwise we will have a minimum of 5 or 6 survivors with 9 or 10 people perishing in their attempt to save one another (or due to their poor luck in my choosing them for sacrifice should that not have been their preference and if no one else was willing to swap places).

* 4. Given the fact that survival is likely with a full 10, I would rather give people options and trust that the group will band together for the greater good. I would be as diplomatic as I can be in which 4 others I choose to be on the Defective Pod with me (making those choices as clear as I could in my explanations to everyone) then leave it up to the group to decide from there what makes the most sense for saving the greatest number of lives. If not enough people are willing to help out, my pod will surely not make it, yet I will have presented the stance within my heart and given the greatest number of people the freedom of their own choices.

** if it came down to being forced to choose all by myself without the *option* of giving others a choice: I would put 10 of us on the Defective Ship for the reasons listed above **


-- Scenario B:
* 1. I do not enter the grievance into the records.

* 2. Because their natural intelligence/skillets posed against the unfortunate circumstances at the time provided the perfect storm for a universal kind of error where poor health and desperation meets with ill-advised decisions. These are frequently the moments where some of the best Jedi-in-Training have needed to learn about their own inner Darknesses in order to fully embody the Lightness of The Force moving forward. Lessons which have pushed many with this kind of potential to the brink of changing sides, yet those who are able to persevere past the inner humiliation of their own indiscretion to accept a compassionate chance are consistently known to be at the top of their groupings. Those who cannot see themselves for who they truly are and decide to blame others will turn their hatred inward, joining the enemy regardless of a trainer's decision in the report. This is why the student in question deserves the options, whether they choose to take it or not, and why I do not feel any shame in my peers' ability to respect me and my decision should it ever come into question.


-- Scenario C:
* 1. I rescue the other person.

* 2. Because the odds are good enough we all will live I must give it my best try, assuming that my friend would want me to do so in any case. They are, after all, of similar mind, and while they may not be in the most coherent state, I know it would dishonor us both (us three?) by not acting swiftly and without guilt toward getting this aquaintance to safety first and foremost.

[Prof. Sky Alton]

A
1. Elesti would put 10 people in the defective pod and the remainder in the fully functioning one. First, she would hold a negotiation between everyone. She would start out by telling everyone the importance of having a working crew in the defective pod to maximise survival and asking for volunteers. If she didn’t have a supportable crew from that, she would use what little time she had to try to find common goals and values amongst the people to see if that could convince anyone else to step forward (or alternatively to highlight the people the group most thought should survive/would be of limited use in the defective pod).
2. She would go in the defective pod as Ansmerians place little importance on their own lives in the face of the greater good. She would also hope to rally the team to success with her conflict resolution abilities.
3. Everyone would most likely survive but if they didn’t, at least it would be by their own choice. Elesti would make peace with it both as an Ansmerian and as a Jedi with faith in ‘death, yet the force’.
4. Elesti was raised to prioritise the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people so it would have been inconceivable for her to accept 7 to 10 people’s assured survival over the high chance of death for the rest. Due to her species’ love of compromise, she would have seriously considered going forward with a crew of 8 to 9 and if pressed, would have done it. She also places great value on people making choices of their own free will/based on their own moral codes or at least because they recognise the expediency and logic behind them.

B
1. No
2. Elesti would have decided that to note it down would lead to conflict for the student in question. Providing she was sure of their contrition, she would have tried to avoid that. This is both because of a lingering need to promote peaceful resolution but also because she has seen first-hand the ravages of conflict and bitterness. She would have felt it more likely that the student would turn to the dark side as a result of being robbed of their chance due to an action they were forced into taking by circumstance. She would take steps to ensure such a situation never occurred again.

C
1. Elesti would rescue the sick person first
2. It stands the greatest chance of achieving a good outcome for everyone concerned, given that her friend still stands a reasonable chance. Though it sounds cold, she wouldn’t let sentiment get in the way of trying to achieve a result that benefited both parties in some form. A part of her would also probably assume that her friend wouldn’t want to live with someone’s blood so firmly on their conscience, whether it’s true or not.

[Emily Spencer]

Ky'lia considers the questions carefully, a small smile playing at the edges of her lips. She is trying hard to embrace the Jedi Code, but putting others...anyone..in front of her own needs is something that does not come naturally to her. She doubts, however, that the Masters would consider that an acceptable response, so she will try to forget that she is from The Drag and remember that life doesn't always have to be cutthroat.

Scenario A
1. I would put 10 people in the defective pod and 5 people in the working pod.
2. I would place myself in the defective pod.
3. The likely outcome is that all of us would survive.
4. It is a foregone conclusion that the 5 people in the working pod would survive, barring some unforeseen tragedy. I also know that in all likelihood, if there is less than the full 10 people needed in the other pod to keep it functional until rescue arrives, the people in that pod are going to die. I am trying to be a better person, and don't want that on my conscious, quite frankly. Dead people are of no use to me anyway. Besides, I know that I have enough organizational skills to coordinate shifts and work details, and enough sternness in me to motivate people to work together...one way or the other.

Scenario B
1. No, I do not record it.
2. In my opinion, the youngling does not deserve to have his whole future wiped for a momentary lapse in judgment. Nothing before this incident indicates that he will be anything but an honorable padawan and a good addition to the Jedi Order. Besides, he more than proved himself capable upon the retaking of the test; it's obvious he knows the material and just panicked when a situation seemed hopeless. That does not mean I would let him off without some sort of punishment because cheating is wrong no matter the reason. However, it would be handled strictly between us and not go on his permanent record.

Scenario C
*Ky'lia laughs softly at this question. If she was being perfectly honest, her first concern would be saving herself and herself alone. She has no friends really, 'best' or otherwise. But she reminds herself that it was a different life and a different person. She will answer hypothetically to the best of her ability*

1. I would save my friend.
2. I don't know this other person, and sorry, but I'm not risking losing the person I know for one whose name I haven't even fully remembered. Besides, if the person is that ill then there is no guarantee that they would not die either before the rescue was complete or shortly afterward. My friend is also in no distress, therefore we can probably make the trip faster. That would allow me to (hopefully) make my way back to the other person before it was too late.

[Amy Darvill]

Scenario A.
1. There was no hesitation as she wrote her answer, lekku resting comfortably on her left shoulder as she slid the stylus across the screen. Clearly, if ten people in the defective pod ensure the most likely survival rate, I place ten in there. I do make sure that it's the healthiest and nimble ones there, while the five essentially 'weakest' go into the fully functional pod.
2. Based on my assessment above, I go into the defective pod as one of the ten. I'm healthy and physically fit and besides, as a Jedi, I've committed myself to protect others.
3. Hard to say, I'm not a good pilot, though I've been learning. So I'm hoping one of the others on my pod could help me pilot the thing to safety. I know for a fact the other pod would survive. And I'm hopeful that my pod would survive, with minor injuries.
4. I chose this way because I thought it guaranteed the maximum survivors. I could be wrong but one also doesn't have time to dawdle in these sort of situations.

Scenario B.
1. This scenario seemed to stump Aleema. Her stylus hovers over the pad, her lekku seeming to tangle up behind her head as if her thoughts were literally tying into knots. Finally, she scribbled an answer. I would not record it. I know I should, that is the proper way of things. But everything else is good. But I also don't know if I could truly ignore the fact the padawan cheated and would feel the need to check their work. I would also assign much extra work as a punishment since they are not facing a proper punishment for their actions.
2. Again the stylus hovered, Aleema biting her lip. And then she wrote an answer, but her color seemed to stay pale, almost grey. I chose this way because even though cheating is wrong, the scales are balanced in the padawan's favor. They are overall a good, even excellent padawan, who made a simple mistake. But I also would not want them to get away with it. That would lead to laxness and possibly even temptation to the dark side.

Scenario C.
1. Aleema's hesitation was different here. Her lekku disentangled, hanging down her back, tapping the stylus softly on her cheek for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. I would rescue the other person first. I know my friend would trust me to come back for her and I know she could survive to come back for her. 50% survival rate for a Twi'lek is normal odds for us when you get away from the major settlements back home.
2. I chose this way mainly because I know my best friend well. It would work differently if it was someone else. But I would like to believe I would always rescue the other person first as they are in more need of my help.

[Prof. Polaris Black]

a.
1. How many do you place in each pod?
Working pod 5, Defective pod 10
2. Where do you go?
Defective pod
3. What are the (likely) consequences of your choices?
If all 10 occupants of the defective pod work in shifts, it is likely life support will be kept going long enough that rescue will almost certainly reach it in time. The working pod will support all occupants far longer than it will take for rescue to arrive.
4. Why did you choose the way you did?
I wanted to save the most lives. And no leader would ask (or tell) anyone to do something that they aren’t willing to do themselves.

b.
1. Do you enter it into the records?
No. But I would enter that the exam was repeated due to illness.
2. Why did you choose the way you did?
Younglings are special but they don’t have all the answers. And a mistake made as a child should not dictate the course of one’s life. This transgression was not serious enough to get the student kicked out of the program and there were extenuating circumstances. The student was ill for a couple of months, desperate, and not thinking clearly. The universe cannot afford to lose a great force for good.

c.
1. Who do you rescue first?
My friend
2. Why did you choose the way you did?
Simple triage is usually used in a scene of an accident. When resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately; the victims are sorted into three categories:
• Likely to live, regardless of care.
• Unlikely to live, regardless of care;
• Immediate care may make a positive difference in outcome.
I am the limited resource. Although there is no guarantee I can save my friend, if I rescue her second, her odds for survival are reduced to 50%. So it appears that immediate care may make a positive difference in outcome. The other person in the room is very ill, much more ill than my friend and less likely to live than she. Although it is very unlikely that I would be able to save both, if I don’t rescue my friend first, I more than likely would lose both of them anyway.