Are ethical decisions possible when you have to survive?

To be ethical stands for being able to decide when something is right from wrong. That is to say, it is the ability of knowing what is relevant from what is not, for example- and as everyone is different in so many ways, some people may think differently, and this may be crucial in times of emergencies or life threatening situations.

To start with, I believe that when it comes to survival, one’s life and way of thinking is different when it is compared to ordinary situations- even more if this danger to which the person is exposed to is not something common or the person is not used to it. One may not be aware in a dangerous situation or when they must survive. This is because they ought to modify some or all aspects of their unexceptional life-so as to be able to stay alive either alone or to maintain an order in case they are in a society. Given this change, the person finds itself in a new situation, so they may not know how to react, so they do- driven by fear, anger, sadness... One may lose control of their humanity and their ethic due to the addition of those emotions.

However, that would most commonly happen when the person who has to survive is alone because they are just themselves and the situation that menaces their life. Besides, when one is with a group of people- or in a society- they can provide their assistance and guide a person who has stranded from the path. This is why it is possible to say that one reacts differently among others; as one keeps being oneself but slightly contradicting.

As a conclusion, ethical decisions are possible when you have to survive, depending on the situation. In my personal opinion, the ability to act right upon a situation that inflicts fear, sadness, anger- among others- is a difficult skill, which not everyone can carry.