The Rule of Three - Choose Wisely

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best illustration of this principle.

At the climax of the movie (the point when all the threads play out, not the end) Elsa and Indy are in the chalice room.

They are tasked with choosing the correct grail that will grant healing and eternal life.

Elsa goes first and chooses an ornate grail to give to Walter Donovan.

Choice 1: Do the wrong thing.

Donovan is not the archaeologist, so he thinks that the size, the gold, and the gems, mark its importance, drinks from it, and dies.

Elsa knew that it was a deadly choice, but deliberately chose wrong, and killed a man.

Choice 2: Do nothing.

The look that Elsa and Indy exchange when this occurs illustrates the second option.

That is the choice that Indy made when Elsa made her choice. He knew that it was the wrong grail, but did not speak up or stop her.

Choice 3: Do the right thing.

And Indy did just that, in choosing the real grail to heal his father, even though it could have been grabbed at any point by any of the others there.

Our country is at a precipice, and it is precisely because people have either never been taught the rule of three, or they take choices 1 and 2.

There were four officers at the scene with George Floyd, one did the wrong thing, and three did NOTHING.

But they weren't the only ones at the scene, and those other people also did NOTHING. In fact, based on the number of videos and/or photos that surfaced immediately afterwards, they chose to do the WRONG THING.

There were people saying "Stop" and "You're hurting him" and even at least one of the other officers also spoke.

But none of them ACTED, which is usually necessary in doing either the right thing or the wrong thing.

None of the spectators put down their cell phone camera long enough to call 911, step forward to attempt to stop the murder, or any other action that could have led to different circumstances.

Groups of protesters out on the streets are being converted into violent mobs looting by small actions.

Had someone actually done something at the scene it might have been the tipping point that would have mobilized at least one of the officers to do the right thing.

But the time is past for that type of speculation, because everyone at that scene made their choice and propelled history forward to the point we are today.

Unfortunately we have come to a point in our society also, where Choice 3 has become far more painful than Choices 1 and 2.

If you choose the wrong thing, there may possibly be negative consequences, however many times those choices become glorified and memorialized and create a social media hero.

So many people are opting for Choice 2, and do nothing. When things go wrong, these individuals quietly slip away or hang at the fringes, remaining quiet rather than attract attention.

Choice 3 has become painful - during the riots we have seen multiple images of people being assaulted to the point of death when they try to stop assault, theft, and looting. They become at a minimum the target of screaming and profanity.

In the "normal world" laws have been developed to protect "whistleblowers" because a person making the right choice can be targeted for job persecution and harassment.

Moving forward, keep in mind that every time you make a choice, you are making one of three. Let it be the right one!