The Moral Vision
In the Nick of Time
~ 73 ~
IN THE NICK OF TIME
A
medical college professor, putting a student
through an oral examination, asked him, “How
many of these pills would you give to a man who
had suffered a heart attack?” “Four,” replied the
student. A minute later, he piped up, “Professor,
can I change my answer?” “You can, by all means,”
said the professor, looking at his watch. “But,
regrettably, your patient has already been dead for
40 seconds.”
Certain matters in life are so critical that they
require the appropriate step to be taken without a
moment’s hesitation. But an instant decision must
also be a correct one, otherwise the consequences
could be drastic, and could mean a lifetime of
repentance.
Our moments of decision-making are often very
similar to our attempts to board a train. Catching a
train requires preparation. We have to pack up our
luggage, making sure we take the right things with
us, buy a ticket, arrange transport to take us to the
station and we must, of course already be on the
