Philosophies of a Righteous Mind

By Aarav Pradhan, Year 12

Greetings! My name is Aarav Pradhan and I am a Senior Editor and Columnist for the WIN Times magazine! I am the Secondary Head Boy for this academic year. My interests include speaking and debating, which is often felt through my focus on argumentative and introspective questions in my articles. As the year begins, I look forward to strengthening the bonds we established as distanced learning students in the previous year. Writing is a superpower that can convey more meaning than any action or emotion ever could. I am excited to lead a new column discussing moralities and the boundaries of our ethics.

Family or Friends?

The Quintessential Dilemma

When phrased in such a manner, the title “Family or Friends” may be a very easy decision – family, right? Well, what if you were given the option of going to an amazing yacht party that your best friend is hosting with the coolest, most expensive events or a significantly more boring and plainer but really important family event?

Now this phrase might make the yacht party more appealing. It’s simply how we think, humans are obviously attracted to things that they perceive as more joyful. Wanting to go to a friend’s party isn’t anything to be ashamed of, it's normal, but the decision you make does have an impact on the relationship you share between yourself and your family or friends.

If you pick your family, your best friend is going to spend the rest of your final year at school avoiding you; if you choose friends, your family may forgive you, but you don’t know whether they have fully accepted your apology. Right now, we still might be very tempted by that boat party.

SCENARIO 1: You attended the family event

After a fairly eventful night, you find out the amazing news in your family! You’re glad you got to share such a meaningful experience with your loved ones. The boring gossiping of aunts and uncles didn’t even matter, your family was with you. The next school day begins, and you walk up to your best friend bursting with excitement to tell them about the big news in your family. They turn around and walk away. That was odd, but you carry on with your day, just a little puzzled at what happened. You meet them during recess and try making conversation, but they still walk away. Finally, you confront them about it, “It was your decision to miss the party, I guess you just don’t care at all” they say. You stand there in awe.

You just lost a best friend.

SCENARIO 2: You attended your best friend’s party

The party was everything you wanted it to be! The food, the music, the vibrance and absurdity of how lavish the party was. You have an amazing memory you share with your friend now. It's now 2 am and you quietly enter the house, your parents and sister sitting there a little let down by you. “You said you’d be back by the start of the event, you really missed out on an important announcement”. You apologise and talk about how the party you went to was a once in a lifetime experience and your friends forced you to stay, “I tried to leave! But they forced me to stay and then I just forgot”. Your sister looks disappointed, and so does the rest of your family. You apologise once more; they accept your apology. But do they really?

You chose your friends over your family.

This dilemma is clearly one that has its fair share of consequences and regardless of which decision you make, you will have to face the brunt of it. But why would we make such decisions? What influences our ideas of family and unity? Find out on the next edition of Philosophies of a Righteous Mind.