In the bright light of sunrise, that little boy laughed at the nighttime intruders. At the time of the crisis, however, help came only from someone within the framework of his reality. If someone really believes the dogs are there, the problem is not the dogs but the belief. If we believe and are convinced that no more important value exists, for example, than prolonging life span, we would be justified in prohibiting all activities that could abbreviate national life span averages. But as humans, we have always demonstrated that we are often motivated by other conflicting values.
Soldiers often perform heroic acts that shorten their own lives.
Many individuals choose to smoke, skydive, or climb mountains because of what these activities contribute to their lives, and they do so in full knowledge of the possibility that they may be shortening their lives. Environmentalism, especially in its more radical and virulent forms, frequently places the preservation of nature in the forefront of moral consciousness, above and beyond other values with which it may well be in conflict. In so doing, any calculation of relative benefits may be censured. We might also be making facts irrelevant to judgment. People seldom argue passionately over facts.