How to Solve an Ethical Dilemma?
Speaking of solving ethical dilemmas, how do you solve them? The problem with ethical dilemmas, is that they don’t offer clear solutions. It’s kind of the whole point. Ideally, when faced with difficulty, we want to find a solution that avoids or counters it. With ethical dilemmas, that difficulty IS the solution. The key word to remember when trying to get out of an ethical dilemma is CONSIDERATION.
You need to consider the options. You need to consider the consequence. You need to consider your relationship to it, and other people’s relationships as well. You also need to consider whether solving it is actually worth it. Throughout human history, people have questioned, analysed, and deliberated over the best way to solve an ethical dilemma. These are the main approaches that people will take:
DISPROVE THE DILEMMA – If you’re caught off guard by an ethical dilemma, you can be rash in your decision making. What at first might seem like a less-than-ideal situation, might all just be in your head. Taking some time to think, and analyse the actual dilemma, might help you to see that there isn’t a dilemma at all. There’s a clear answer, but in the moment, you didn’t see it. And what was once a difficult choice, has become very easy.
GOOD VS. BAD – Arguably the most common way in which people deal with ethical dilemmas is by deciding which solution offers the most amount of positives, or on the other hand, the least amount of negatives. You might make this decision based on your ability to improve the situation afterwards, or your ability to deal with consequences as they arrive.
ALTERNATIVES – A bit like disproving the dilemma, taking some time away could help you in the decision-making process. Again, let’s assume you’re caught off guard by the dilemma and a choice needs to be made. In the moment, you could have two options and you might choose one. But taking some time to consider the entire dilemma, could offer a new solution that could be a more positive one, in comparison to the original solutions.
As I’ve said, consideration is key. But if it’s going to be effective, then you’ll need to know how to consider things effectively. Here a few tips on how to consider things effectively.
LISTS – A very simple and easy thing to do when considering potential solutions is to create a list. This list would ideally contain both pros and cons for every solution available. From here you can easily assess which solution might be the most beneficial based on your outlook. You might find that one solution only has one consequence, but it’s massive. And on the other hand, the other solution has many consequences, but they’re nothing in comparison.
SPEAK TO OTHERS – If you’ve made a list and you’re still not sure, then speaking to people is a good way to consider. The people whose opinions you hold in high regard, and the people who have your best interests at heart are the people to ask. They will want you to be okay, and therefore often suggest the solution that they would take based on your benefit. Likewise, you can toil and debate over it for hours, days or even longer, and this is because it most likely affects you, or people you care about. If you ask someone who it doesn’t affect at all, they can give you a clear answer that is void of all personal desires and inclinations.
TAKE YOURSELF OUT – If this still hasn’t helped in your decision, then put yourself in that same position. Take yourself out of the situation. Forget the affects it has on you, remove your friends or family from the situation and make it about strangers. Now ask yourself the same question. If it doesn’t involve you, or people you know, you might surprise yourself with the solution you can potentially come up with. Things like personal consequence and the impacts on other people can cloud your judgement, so if you do take yourself out of the situation, it’s important to remember what decision you made, because at the end of the day, that might be the one you have to go for.
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCE – We’ve spoken about consequence a lot, and for good reason. When looking at a solution, try to consider the consequences that might arise from your choice, but also try to think of any positives. Does the consequence dominate the positives, or will it be a by-product that can be avoided? If you want to consider the solution, then consider the consequence.
OUTDATED VALUES – We’re constantly learning and constantly changing the way we think and view the world. If you’re presented with an ethical dilemma, you might want to consider your own values, and whether they have changed over time. At an early age, we can act like sponges and absorb all sorts of random information that could influence the way we look at things. But because we’re not always thinking about those influences, that outlook we have on something might be skewed and misinformed based on that value that we learned before. Assess your own values and determine whether they are true, or misguided and outdated.
There is no wrong or right when it comes to ethical dilemmas. They all come down to your own morality. But by having the knowledge to understand what type of ethical dilemma you’re facing, as well as how to go about trying to solve it, could lead to you making the best decision possible, and not allowing the dilemma to control and influence the way in which you live your life.