Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Would you get this job?

The following is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once used as part of a job application:
You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:

  • An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
  • An old friend who once saved your life.
  • The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?


  • Would you pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and you feel you should save her?
  • Would you take the old friend who once saved your life? This is the perfect chance for pay back.
  • Or, would you take your perfect mate because, well, how often does that chance come along?


The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) gave the following answer:
I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.
The moral? Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. We need to be able to 'Think Outside the Box.'

I got this story in an email from one of the other candidates for the position. He still believes he had the better answer and should have been hired.

I would have to run the old lady over and put her out of her misery because Obama's health care won't pay for her; I would then have mad, passionate sex with the perfect partner on the hood of the car; and then I would drive off with the old friend for a few beers.

5 comments:

Theresa said...

If this were a timed test, I would have bombed it. Although I totally agree with the applicant that got it right, I don't think I would have come up with that. I hate living in this box:(

Excellent story though. Kudos!

Nooter said...

please dont encourage cats to think outside the box, its unsanitary

Anonymous said...

I agree with the last person.
...Except I'm underage, er, so...hmmmmm...
This is a great post, Phillipia. :D

Anonymous said...

Well, since I am anti-social I would have sped by all of them, making sure I would splash them all by driving through a nearby rain puddle.

Maybe that's why I didn't get that job...

Phillipia said...

Theresa, I am not so sure I would have gotten that job either...I would have been leaning toward my friend's response - at least in my dreams:)

Good point, Nooter. Once my cat started thinking outside the box, it was time for her to go to cat heaven...

Scott, what does underage have to do with anything...wait - you did not hear that from me - and do not let my son know I said that...

Flubtastic, unless my car stalled from the rain (which is likely) I would have probably kept right on driving, too, - not even noticing them standing there, giving me the finger for not missing the puddles and adding to their misery...