Neither Better Nor Worse

Often, when it's difficult to reach a decision or make a judgment it's because there isn't a right solution to be gleaned. The classic case is whether the toilet paper roll should unfurl over the top or from the bottom. Over the top can make the sheets easier to reach but from the bottom the sheets might hang more consistently. Further up the ladder we can weigh whether it's best to live in the city or the country. At the highest, most serious level we can debate whether or not to intervene in Syria. Decisiveness means that one chooses among nearly equal options and stands by it. This was George W. Bush's attitude toward invading Iraq. It made sense when he called himself "the decider." Nevertheless, there are times when our options actually represent right and wrong, and waging preventive war is always wrong.