Larry Brilliant, M.D.
who served with a team that worked to accomplish the total eradication of the virulent form of smallpox in India, reminds us of the wisdom of Gandhi. He shares that during the fight for freedom for India Mahatma Gandhi had many complicated decisions to make and many people would come to him and ask “Mahatma, how do I know what the right thing to do is?” and he would say:
“Everybody wants a magic amulet that protects you from doing the wrong thing. I will give you a magic amulet that will protect you from ever doing the wrong thing, but this is not an amulet that you wear on a gold chain around your neck, this is an amulet that you inscribe in your heart. It’s this: Before you take that action which you are thinking about, consider the face of the poorest, the most vulnerable, the most destitute, marginalized human being that you have ever met in your life. Think of the person you have met who suffers the most, for whom life has been the most unfair, and ask yourself: will the act that you are contemplating doing benefit that person? If it will, you are protected. If it won’t, I ask you to think again if that’s the most important thing or the right thing for you to do. That’s the magic amulet that will protect you from ever doing anything wrong.”
