Choice between evils – miscellaneous.
The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Choices. · Choice between evils. · view the constellation · filed as J229
Motif
Within the index
Filed under Choice between evils.
14 finer motifs beneath it
Choice: staying at home with loving wife or going to tavern and having unfaithful wife. Man chooses latterSheep and ignorant shearer. Had rather die than suffer longer from himChoice: a big piece of cake with my curse or a small piece with my blessingBetter send an ugly woman to the devil than a pretty one. Man chooses ugly mistressChoice between bad master, bad official, or bad neighbor. Bad master can do evil if he desires to do so; bad official can harm a poor person and complain against him to his master; bad neighbor can betray secret things about his neighbors. Bad neighbor worstBad choice between poor and miserly man. Neither makes good leaderRower prefers to be stoned by his master rather than remain out in the stormContentment with evil master for fear of worse successorMan retains questionable bride for fear of getting one who is worseThe smaller the evil the better. Therefore choose the smallest woman possible for a brideTake money instead of revenge. Fool advises uncle, in letter which he did not send, to take money from wife's paramour instead of revengePrisoners given choice between emasculation and blindingGod's punishment: the sinner may have twelve years of famine or twelve hours of heavy rainfallPhysical pain preferred to poverty
Filed beside it
Four choices, all of which are evil; man to make one choice onlyChoice: free poverty or enslaved wealthChoice: plainness with safety or grandeur with dangerChoice: loss of beauty or speech. Latter chosenChoice: suffering in youth or old agePresent evil preferred to change for worseChoice of deathsCaptivity preferred to deathEnemies make peace rather than slay each otherChoice: small injustice permitted rather than to cause troubles of stateRescue alone from shipwreck chosen over drowning with goodsChoice between evils: pay tribute or lose both money and lifeChoice: apparent injustice over greater wrongDifficult choice between relativesDeath preferred to other evils