Thinking Heart - which track would you choose?

A friend posed an interesting question today. She recently read this and it keeps coming back to "haunt" her. She wondered what my responses would be. I wonder what yours will be.....

Here's the question.

A train will soon come to a switching section of the tracks. You have control of the button that switches the train from one track to the other.

If you choose one track the train will crash and 10 passengers will be killed.

If you choose the other track the train will crash, but only 1 person will be killed.

Which track would you choose?

Of course, the obvious answer for most people is to choose the lesser of two evils - the track that kills only one.

Now, the scenario changes a bit. Same train, same switch, but the scenarios are as follows:

First track - 10 people will be killed (no difference from the above).

You can change the train to the second track, but you must forcibly hold one person on the second track and that person will be killed (assumes you have the strength and ability to hold this person and you will not be injured or killed).

Now what do you do?  Sacrifice that one person for the sake of saving 10 others? Let the 10 you don't have any personal contact with die rather than force someone you must physically touch & forcibly hold on the track to die?

The quick answer may be that you would hold the one person on the track to save 10 others.

But then, one starts to think:  what if that 1 person is my brother, or my best friend, or just someone I know - not a stranger - would I still do it?

Gives us something to think about, doesn't it!?

My friend still couldn't figure why this (what I call a) mind experiment keeps coming back to her. I couldn't answer that for her.

But, it did bring to mind another experiment I read about recently. The idea for that one is to pay attention to the people we meet each day. Notice how if we don't catch their eye, or greet them (even just a nod), they to us - and we to them, are just objects passing by. But, greet them (or even just acknowledge their presence with a nod or smile) & we'll quite often be surprised by the response; a door held open, a smile returned, an offer to board the train first, and more. 

Try it - you may be surprised to see the hearts around you open - maybe even your own heart!