Chapter 53
The Moment of Choice
Waking When Maggie was gone to sleep, Stephen, weary too with his unaccustomed amount of rowing, and with the intense inward life of the last twelve hours, but too restless to sleep, walked and lounged about the deck with his cigar far on into midnight, not seeing the dark water, hardly conscious there were stars, living only in the near and distant future. At last fatigue conquered restlessness, and he rolled himself up in a piece of tarpaulin on the deck near Maggie’s feet. She had fallen asleep before nine, and had been sleeping for six hours before the faintest…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Moral Boundaries
Think about a current situation where you feel torn between what you want and what you think is right. Draw two columns: 'Easy Path' and 'Right Path.' Under each, list the immediate consequences and the long-term effects on yourself and others. Then write one sentence about what kind of person you want to be when this situation is resolved.
Consider:
- •Consider who gets hurt by each choice, not just yourself
- •Think about what you'd tell a friend in the same situation
- •Remember that moral courage gets stronger with practice
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you chose the harder right path over the easier wrong one. What did that choice cost you, and what did it teach you about yourself?
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