AIBU to wonder which button people would press to survive?

Is there a champagne button ? I'd press that. Multiple times.

Red, because everyone has the option to press red and survive. Anyone who pushes blue and doesn't survive is choosing it. Red is the only safe option that gives everyone the option of surviving.

Or they could be taking the piss.

Contrariness is an endemic quality of MN these days.

You must have misremembered it as it doesn’t make sense as written (it isn’t any sort of conundrum).

I'll be back when I've had some coffee.

It's not about faith in humanity; I have little of that. I just cannot imagine the vast majority of parents (or grandparents) pressing the red button if it would mean the deaths of their children and grandchildren.

Self-preservation is generally only rivalled or overwhelmed by the instinctive desire for one's descendants to survive.

I admire your faith in humanity, genuinely. When it comes to the crunch, and if it’s a snap decision, self preservation wins every time.

Red. Total no brainer.

I do agree on that - but I have to think there would be so many parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts etc with very young relatives they'd like to ensure the safety of, that the blue vote would get over the 50% line very easily.

I don’t believe they would vote blue. Most people wouldn’t risk dying to save people they don’t know, regardless of age.

Choosing red poses no risk at all for the person pressing the button

Well then, if all babies and toddlers are going to die because they can't push buttons, and most very young children would die because they can't properly comprehend the question, the experiment would become the boring 'nearly everyone pushes blue'.

And even with incompetent people not being brought into the matter, it seems that many people would still vote blue, and think it's the only moral option. So I don't think that holds true.

And I'm assuming not because it makes the thought experiment more interesting. Otherwise it a rather dull "everyone votes red".

I would have to assume that, were this hypothetical actually real, it would probably be treated in much the same way as a real life vote. So:

• Provisions for accessibility, so assistance for the blind, etc.
• Information would be provided to explain it clearly in simple language.
• Only people of the age of majority, who are competent, would be expected to push the button. Everyone else I imagine would either be excluded from the effects of the outcome and only those who pushed a button would be impacted OR they would be expected to have a guardian or caregiver push the button for them.

I’m positive that none of them will be my children or grandchildren.

It is about self preservation versus blind faith in others. I think it’s quite charming that people genuinely can be so naive.

But that's the point isn't it, their brains aren't mature enough to make the choice. So approx 50% of them are going to chose blue, just because they like the colour or dont understand the question. Are you sure some of them won't be your children, or grandchildren?

Naivity or selfishness aren't the only factors in play, which is why it's not such a straightforward choice as it first appears.

Again with the small children. Quite apart from not having mature enough brains to make the choice, children are selfish little creatures - they have to be for their own survival.

If you think people will routinely risk their own lives on the off chance that people are ‘nice’ by selecting blue then you are very naive.

Babies? Toddlers? The blind? Those with learning difficulties, or dementia?

Going to be a hell of a lot of dead babies and small children if more people press red. Its everyone on earth who has to chose right, not just the adults.

Small children. People who haven't understood the question. People who are nicer than you.

Are you so sure everyone you care for would chose red? Or do you not care for anyone?

I would still choose red. Why would people automatically be drawn to blue? Good for you that your son would opt for the moral option, as small children are inherently selfish.

And I’m not bothered about living.

Yes I think it changes the dilemma if this isn’t something that can be discussed beforehand. What if a button and the question just appeared in front of everyone at once and there was no chance to talk it through with friends or family or small children. You have 5 minutes to decide and you must choose one. The logical choice is definitely red, but the choice you’d be drawn to (as a good person) would be blue. I don’t think I could guarantee my kids would choose red, my 4 year old would definitely be drawn to the moral answer, if he could even read the question. I wouldn’t want to live without them, so I’d choose blue, even though I can see it’s not the “right” choice

Exactly! Who in their right mind would press blue? And I say that as someone who also isn’t motivated by their own survival

Yep.

This isn't a moral dilemma at all, its an intelligence test. Anyone with half a brain would press red.

I'm not motivated by my own survival. Blue