The art of choosing between bad and worse

In the milieu we are living in, the choices we confront are not always between good and bad. Such are the present times that most of the alternatives we have to pick from are either bad or worse. 

There is hardly any real dilemma when we have to choose between good and bad. It is not hard to differentiate between good and bad. You will not err in discerning between the good and bad options you have to choose from.

The dilemma arises when the alternative of bad is not good but worse. This is the scenario in which we often find ourselves. Let me give a mundane example from my life. To escape the wrath of mosquitoes that abound in our area, I use any of the commonly available mosquito repellents in our home even though I am allergic to the fumes emitted. My wife also abhors the smell of mosquito repellent. Agreeing with her that fumes of mosquito repellent were harmful even for humans, I convinced her that mosquito bites were much worse. That is how I resolved the inner conflict by being clear as to what was worse.

Let me give another example of choosing between bad and worse from the dilemma I am currently confronted with. Constructions are going on on two plots adjacent to our house. There is unbearable noise and dust pollution emanating from construction activities. To shield ourselves from the noise and dust, I keep all the doors and windows of our house shut during the daytime. Feeling suffocated, my wife yearns to open some door or window. But we know that opening the window or door will lead to worse outcomes. Therefore, we settle for the ‘bad’ situation of closed doors and windows.

Many a time we would be at a loss to figure out which choice is worse. At that time, we have to weigh the pros and cons to arrive at clarity. Whenever confronted with choosing between bad and worse, we must make a call without letting pangs of hesitation deter us.

Most of the decisions that we have to make are about making the right choices. By understanding that bad is better than worse, we will learn to make right choices without guilt.