The Heart and The Soul State Their Cases
As the flames roared, there was little time before the old structure collapsed. The body was in trouble, smoke was wreaking havoc on the lungs while making breathing difficult. As the fire raged inside the building, a fiery discussion took place within the body.
At this crucial juncture in life, the heart and soul were involved in a heated debate. As always the two do not see eye to eye and had begun to voice their opinions about what the body should do. As they presented their cases, the mind listened impartially, as it was the mind who would ultimately make the decision in the end.
The heart passionately argued that doing the right thing in this time of crisis was what should be, no, what must be done. What separated us from other species, the heart pleaded, was our goodwill towards others.
The soul wanted to do what was best for the mind and the heart at the moment, survive. Of main concern, the soul argued, was the well being of the host. If it’s fight or flight the soul was squarely in the corner of the latter.
The heart chimed in and repeated the plea for compassion, helping others and doing what’s right when no one is looking. The soul asked the heart to please spare everyone the sappy drivel, it’s a tired routine and everyone was sick of it. After being reprimanded by the mind, the soul begrudgingly offered a less than soulful apology.
The tension was building, and each side was acutely aware of the circumstance. They could all agree that a resolution needed to be reached rather quickly as the situation was worsening. The mind was having a terrible time with this case, and time was of the essence in this proceeding.
The soul decided that it was time for drastic measures. Bringing up past decisions to support his argument, the soul asked what good could be done if the host didn't escape, how could future good deeds be performed if the host were to perish? It was a great point, one that obviously scored some points with the mind.
The heart knew this, and countered immediately, emotions running high. “Do what is right! What good is saving ourselves if we cannot be trusted to do the right thing?”
The mind had listened to both; each had made a compelling case. The mind was trusted to be fair and reasonable during these discussions, but in the end usually found for the soul. But they had better hurry, or the smoke would make the choice for them. After a quick deliberation the mind had reached a decision.
“Both of you have made excellent points here today, but we do not have the luxury of time to pursue this any further. As both of you know, the single most important function is to preserve the body.”
With that the decision had been made, from start to finish the debate was over in a flash, only seconds had elapsed. Court was adjourned and with a weary heart, the three worked in unison to safely escape the burning building.
