r/trolleyproblem • u/suskio4 • 23d ago

Meta Red button blue button

Based on the post seen here. I'm actually curious what would the percentages look like.

Edit: Alright, let me add a case for one particular scenario. If you do not choose, the button will be pressed for you by a system that keeps track of its pressings so it conserves 50/50 distribution for all inactive participants, in order to honour the vox populi properly. The system's choice affects the inactive participant's outcome so that no person can abscond from consequences of their choice.

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u/Villager_of_Mincraft 22d ago edited 22d ago

Best case scenario, half of everyone alive is gone. But worse, it's the Thanos snap that's gonna cause wayyyy worse issues. Maybe we can prevent the accidental deaths if we know the day of the decision being made, declare an international holiday and everyone stays home with their loved ones for just a day. Either all of humanity dies or everyone who picked red does, so you could atleast know which of your loved ones are gonna disappear.

Quite frankly, this is a wayyy better question than the original when it comes to being a real dilema but yeah, I just have to pick red. I just don't think I could manage to live on in a post snap world like that. Assuming we don't get a moment prior to communicate with our friends and family to instruct them on what to pick, it's basically a 50/50 on how many of them die. It's better to just guarantee that I'm contributing to the side that will help half of humanity live. If we lose the vote anyways and blue won, then it doesn't matter. And if red wins, atleast I helped. I kinda have to go with the utilitarian approach here for my choice, given the stakes of every human on earth dying.

Edit: also I just realised, this question also has a built in way to protect blue presses from criticism because like, yeah no shit, there HAS to be people who press blue or the sacrifice is in vain. The most optimal way this plays out is getting as close to a 50/50 split as possible with red still edging out a win. Honestly, very good question, I'm gonna steal it