3.13: Rule of Reasonableness
- Page ID
- 47913
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Rule of Reasonableness
So now that, we have shared the do’s and don’ts there is one final thing to consider when reaching your decision. The final thing is known as the rule of reasonableness. There are three aspects within this rule. To ultimately make a reasonable decision it should be consistent within itself. Meaning, that you should think through your decision and all aspects of it to make sure it is logical and consistent. For instance, if you were a law enforcement officer out on patrol ready to give out speeding tickets you would have decisions to make. Let’s suppose that you decide to pull over anyone that is going 5 miles or more over the speed limit. Is that a reasonable decision? Well part of deciding if this decision is reasonable is making sure that when we exercise this rule we are consistent. If you pull over a vehicle and the driver is very nice and attractive, so you decide to give a warning rather than a ticket but with the next vehicle the driver is nice but not attractive, so you give a ticket we would say this is not reasonable because your behavior is not consistent.
The second part of the rule of reasonableness is that your decision should include all relevant facts. In reaching your decision about pulling drivers over your decision about—5 miles or more over the speed limit would result in a ticket—may change if you are tasked with patrolling near an elementary school with several school crossings where the little children walk and there have been two traffic fatalities in the past week. If this was the circumstance, now that you have all the relevant facts, would this alter your decision? Reasonably, in this district you might pull over anyone that is speeding at all.
The final part of the rule of reasonableness is that your decision also needs to fit the human experience. Perhaps you are in the countryside and you are using your rule of—5 miles or more over results in a ticket—and you catch an individual exceeding the speed limit by 10 miles over the limit so you pull them over. In talking with the driver and their passenger you find out that the woman is in labor and they are rushing to the hospital. While you normally try to be consistent with your rule and include all relevant facts and this person was speeding, would you give them a ticket? Ethically, a more humane choice might be to summon an ambulance for them or to help guide them to the hospital yourself.
Hopefully, you can use these guidelines in making good decisions in your personal life as well as later in your professional life. It is important to make rules and guidelines to help guide your decisions but ultimately at the same time we do need to remain flexible. The professional training you will receive in your future line of work will help prepare you for many circumstances, but there typically will be some unusual circumstances that you will need to figure out on your own in an ethical manner.