The classic Dilemma
For a man
Walking alone along a country lane
For recreation.
He sees in the distance
Coming towards him fast
Two figures running
For recreation.
As they approach he sees they are young women
With baseball caps and shorts
Obviously seriously running
But they are still too far off to see their faces.
He doesn’t want to appear too rude and stand gawping at the sight
So he carries on walking
Seriously
And decides that, to be friendly (and because they would expect it of a lone man)
He has to look up
As they pass and greet them
With a friendly ‘Good Morning!’
But the dilemma – which one to look at?
He has to choose one, as they approach fast –
Too fast to see which one is the better looking.
He decides to look to the one on his Left
As she flashes past
Quite tall, blonde hair bobbing, wearing spectacles.
He mumbles ‘Good Morning!’
With a faint smile, but she carries on seriously running
With hardly a glance at him.
But it is the one on the Right, whose face he hasn’t seen at all
Who calls – ‘Hi !’
And he wonders – maybe he should have looked at the one on the Right.
Another classic dilemma
You sit next to a woman on a crowded train.
As the train proceeds, more and more people get off at the various stations.
You find you are left sitting next to the woman in an almost empty carriage.
Do you: 1) Carry on, sitting uncomfortably close to the woman, invading her space?
Or do you: 2) Get up and sit down at another seat further away – Is it polite to get up and move away from someone, in this situation? Or is it more polite to stay in your seat?
While you are pondering this classic dilemma, she solves the problem for you by getting up without saying anything and moving to an empty seat two rows behind you.
C. Tim Taylor 2012.