Ever Faced A Dilemma?

By Harvey Tobkes

Most of us are familiar with either the book or the movie, Sophie’s Choice. In a concentration camp with her 2 children, Sophie is told by one of the guards to choose as to which child she will keep with her; the other must go to the gas chamber.

Hopefully, none of us will ever be confronted with a dilemma that traumatic, but many of us do encounter choices that are painful to make.

Some examples: Do I become a caregiver to a sick parent even though it means neglecting my own family and is a financial burden as well?… Do I stay in an unhappy marriage with an intolerable spouse to protect the children?… Do I quit a job I can’t stand and escape my boss who is a tyrant, even though I may become unemployed for a while or have to accept a lower salary?…

I’m sure each reader can think of many other perplexing questions that have arisen in their lives that challenge the mind. And there comes a time when we must choose between the lesser of 2 evils.

It is a matter of obligation verses conscience; which outweighs the other for you? If you make a convenient, less painful decision for yourself, can you bear living with the guilt?

It becomes the metaphor of… “Sophie’s Choice.”