Means versus Ends

Last week, a thought-provoking article was published in a local magazine. While referring to various questionable conducts of some characters from the Indian epic "Mahabharata", the author raised a couple of questions: Do the means justify the ends? Is success possible without compromise? It is difficult to answer such questions in simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I feel that context and the intention behind the action are important in answering such questions.

We happily twist scientific fact while explaining sunrise and sunset to a young child. We do not hesitate lying to a criminal pursuing an innocent person. We hide details of the dreaded disease from a distressed patient. Life is not black and white. It is full of various shades of grey. What is a sin to one person may not be so for the other and even for the same person in a different situation. However, I believe that our conscience is our best guide. Like a compass, it always shows us the right path. When questioned about the apparent inconsistency between his writings and actions at various times, Mahatma Gandhi said, “My aim is not to be consistent with my previous statements on a given question, but to be consistent with truth as it may present itself to me at a given moment.” He was clearly referring to being true to his own conscience.