dilemmas
No-win situations
Dilemmas is the plural of dilemma—a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
A classic dilemma offers two options, both with significant drawbacks: She faced the dilemma of telling the truth and hurting her friend, or lying to protect her.
The word has loosened to mean any difficult decision: I'm in a dilemma about which job offer to accept.
Difficult, dangerous situation
- bindFasten or obligate
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
- jamCooked fruit spread
- pickleVinegar-preserved vegetable
trouble · fix · tight spot · hardship · adversity · catch-22 · no-win situation · rock and a hard place
Settled course of action
- optionsAvailable courses of action
- alternativesOther available options
- trade-offExchange requiring sacrifice
- compromiseAgreement through mutual sacrifice
weigh · deliberate · evaluate · prioritize · either-or · lesser evil · sacrifice · opportunity cost
Right and wrong principles
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
scruples · justice · fairness · responsibility · trolley problem · conflict of interest · whistleblowing · utilitarianism
Seemingly absurd truth
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- complexityState of being complicated
intricacy · knot · tangle · head-scratcher · Gordian knot · chicken-and-egg · unsolvable · impossible choice
Failure to decide
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- doubtLack of firm belief
- vacillationInability to choose
wavering · torn · conflicted · paralysis · agonizing · second-guessing · sleepless nights · anxiety
plight
Difficult, dangerous situation
pickle · trouble · fix · tight spot · hardship · adversity · catch-22 · no-win situation · rock and a hard place · corner
decision
Settled course of action
- optionsAvailable courses of action
- alternativesOther available options
- trade-offExchange requiring sacrifice
compromise · weigh · deliberate · evaluate · prioritize · either-or · lesser evil · sacrifice · opportunity cost · pros and cons
morality
Right and wrong principles
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
virtue · scruples · justice · fairness · responsibility · trolley problem · conflict of interest · whistleblowing · utilitarianism · deontology
paradox
Seemingly absurd truth
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
complexity · intricacy · knot · tangle · head-scratcher · Gordian knot · chicken-and-egg · unsolvable · impossible choice · contradictory
indecision
Failure to decide
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- doubtLack of firm belief
vacillation · wavering · torn · conflicted · paralysis · agonizing · second-guessing · sleepless nights · anxiety · overthinking
- philosophy termstruth, reason, knowledge, wisdom, logic
- Ethics Traininghonesty, fairness, integrity, values, morals
- advice columnsadvice column, agony aunt, agony column, Dear Abby, Ann Landers
- puzzlespuzzles, sudoku, jigsaw puzzle, puzzle cube, crossword
- mysteriesmystery, enigma, enigmas, puzzle, riddle
- puzzlerspuzzle master, brainteasers, brain-teasers, conundrums, enigmas
dilemmassolutions
Answers to problems
resolutions · answers · remedies · fixes · outcomes
dilemmasno-brainers
Effortlessly obvious decisions
slam dunks · foregone conclusions · certainties · givens · cinches
- false dilemmaReasoning error limiting options
- moral dilemmaChoice testing one's values
- ethical dilemmaSituation with competing values
- prisoner's dilemmaStrategic game theory scenario
- on the horns of a dilemmaFacing equally bad choices
- prisoners dilemmaStrategic betrayal scenario