Dumb
Don’t assume people are dumb. Once we get to a certain stage in life, it’s tempting to say, “I’m surrounded by idiots!” While Thomas Erikson explores this topic in a different way, I’ll leave it to you to read his book. I myself want to talk about how much of a handicap we place on ourselves if we hold this worldview. I am somewhat of an optimist when it comes to people. I subscribe to a Kantian view: I believe being kind to humans should be an end in itself. I try to avoid situations where “the ends justify the means,” especially when it comes to decisions like the trolley dilemma. Once we adopt that kind of mindset, we simplify the world into something mathematical. While this can be helpful in certain situations, I believe it is more often detrimental. When we think this way, we jump to conclusions too quickly, fixate on measurable numbers, and stop thinking outside the box. When presented with a problem like the trolley dilemma, I will challenge the questioner: Where is the train c...