A Moral Dilemma

A moral dilemma

It is not easy to describe the process of decision-making that a human being performs while organizing the clues, reasons, benefits, losses, statements, conditions, and opinions. How does a mind work? What substance is in it to control the every details of the process? The 1.4-kg lump of some wrinkled tissues, which is called the mind, is no longer a mystery, though the science still does not produce a relieble answer of how a human crosses the moral dilemmas. How does a human make a life-and-death decision? Nevertheless, it has subsequently gone deeper into the human brain and began exploring around.

Science itself is full of mysteries. It has blown our century old believes, century old truth. Recently, scientists have penetrated into the human brain with the help of the sophisticated brain imaging technology. Scanning various parts of the brain, scientists have been able to distinguish the different portions of it, reading its respective functions of activities. Such as, 'frontal lobe', which is important part of the brain for mental ability, 'hippocampus' where the new memories are formed.

When a human gets rejection, or when human fails to get the thing as he wishes, the failure or rejection registers inside a main area of the brain which responses to physical pain. The pain related activities are higher in those people who lack strong family and social support. Supports from the loved one to any stressful link, not only feels good, but also calms the brain circuits that produce stress hormones.

Scientists now can find what is cooking inside other's mind. It is a remarkable achievement. Brain now can be separated thoroughly, in terms of the different activities ranging from the actions, retaining memories, forming new images, stress pulses, exciting movements, decision making system. When people grow older, brain begins loosing its ability. For the ësuccessful agingí, there are although some exercises may help to sustain a bit but regardless, 'aging brain is truly inevitable', it is not avoidable.

When people see the things around or read the news, they produce a quick blood flow onto the synapses (Synapses are the intersections for communications), the 'electronical firings' and 'chemical messages' that keeps running between one billion (more or less) nerve cells are the one which produce the thoughts, feelings and interactions regarding the news, incidents or the substances around. When brain ages, it generates fewer 'neurotransmitters', has fewer receptions, and these changes may have an effect on memory. Although, science has various probabilities, but there some peculiar myth of the brain, they are as follows:

(a) People canít change brain cells,
(b) People lose brain cells everyday,
(c) Brain doesn't make new brain cells,
(d) Memory decline is inevitable as people age.

When people grow older, brain mass shrinks, outer surface thins, white substance (Myelin) decreases, chemical messengers (serotonin) decrease, but it is the life. A few regular exercises may help a bit to gain 'successful aging', which is a different thing. Here we are talking about the 'cognitive processes' inside the brain that includes memory, attention, and action, problem solving and decision-making ability.

When human ages, the memories keep on declining which makes human incapacitated for reminiscent or retaining the information, but at the same time, wisdom and decision-making skill increases. The life-long experiences, educations are the parts of those wisdoms and decision-making skills. Yes indeed! But, the thing that may excite human is, to get the 'know-how' of the specific portion of brain which actually is the controller of the ëdecision-makingí and how does the particular part of brain do the 'life-and-death-decision'? Certainly, the answer would have a terrific impact on every curious human.

Robert Wright writes in 'Time' about a so-called 'trolley problem'. Suppose, a trolley is rolling down the track toward 'five people' who will die unless you pull a lever that diverts it onto another track-where unfortunately, lies 'one person' who will die instead. Well, in this case, you are the one who has to decide in quick rush then you may act a universal way of 'minimizing the loss of life', which is called 'utilitarian' goal, is the right thing to be done by you at the very moment. It is 'five to one swap'. However, here we are talking about the 'moral dilemma'.

The 'trolley problem' above mention stands in front of your eyes where the 'five people' waiting for you to save, turn out to be your 'whole family' who raised you thoroughly during the years and on the other track, there lies your most loved-one, dearest one, the love of your life, your spouse who is standing keenly and trustfully looking at you to rescue her from the brink of the death. Now how do you perform the decision-making thing? Or in this situation, it is fairly noticeable about how you make the decisions.

This is a dilemma! In such a case, the decision always carries morality prospects and moral decision has always-highest wisdom. When the Morale stands, rules and systems do not simply follow the person, the emotion plays a vital role of making such decisive and the 'life-and-death-decision'.

According to the 'utilitarian' goal, people choose most of the time to minimize the loss of the life and it is wise to think that if you stay still, or do nothing, the trolley goes right to your family, after hitting the first and front member, it might stop or halt a bit, so rest can hold the trolley then or simply escape outa there. You may loose one person from within your family. Another way, you may pull any stranger, bystander and push him on to the track, that strangerís body may help the trolley halt and you may be able to save the family and your love. Hence, Morality is, 'deciding the best courses of action in all situations', so that you definitely cannot push any innocent person on the track, nor you can leave your family on the track to be crashed, and definitely, you cannot acquire the guts to see your loved one die in front of your eyes.

The rational parts of your brain get many activities. In such a case, wisdom comes first while morale boosts you up, then you end-up jumping yourself right on the track hoping that, your body may halt the trolley to stop, saving all your dearest and nearest at once for good.

Here, virtually, as is believed, the cultural background, family background or ethnic background with high morale values score higher. When emotion enrolls human mind fully, obtaining the best and perfect kinda decision like choosing family's lives or spouse's life, or spouseís life or kids' lives, then any sensitive human would choose to self-destruction.

Love does not stand without morale, and when there the moral value stands with love, then every decision, every determination comes with heavy punch of pain. The drawback of being a human is ëcarrying a soul within the body and soul is the main factor or source of all timeís pain. Yes!

Nepali Maoist in Terai

In Nepal, after 13 years of 'heart shattering violence', it now seems that the Maoists (Rebels) finally are taking a shape as political party inline with other mainstream political parties. It is easy to raise a concern of the ethnic minorities or discriminations but certainly 'hard to cope with'.

Now, 'terrain parts of Nepal' (Terai) has been plague by the fire of communalism. Communalists seem to be appearing to tear our nation apart. Century old relations of brotherhood, social and ethnic harmony and centuary old 'living-togetherness' have been virtually scrambled by the ongoing commotion.

The government of Nepal has a dilemma for the crossover to the crisis. However, it is hard to expect the government to follow the morale, or emotion or love, that is why it seems exactly like the trolley problem and government may push any innocent on the track to minimize the loss of life or simply let the trolley cross over to minority section.

After all, the 'politics', is like this and here comes the ironical part of our lives, is, ...we have become a mere 'snap' sized minority here in Hong Kong. Who knows what future it may bring for us! Just the curiosity, after all!

- Prakash K.C. / Hong Kong

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