AIBU to wonder which button people would press to survive?

[Boxingshibes]

Everyone on earth takes a private vote by pressing a red or blue button.

If more than 50% of people press the blue button, everyone survives.

If less than 50% of people press the blue button, only people who pressed the red button survive. Which button would you press?

Red or blue
Red- aibu
Blue-ainbu

Well, that's true - in that scenario, only red sweets are guaranteed to be safe, and blue sweets might be poisoned. So why on earth would you choose to eat a blue sweet, in that scenario??

It's really not complicated.

If you choose red: You always live.

If you choose blue: There's a good chance you might die.

Why on earth would you choose to potentially die??

You could say that in theory, if everyone chooses blue then it makes the bowl safe for everyone...but it'll be safe for everyone if they all just eat the red sweets anyway!! Blue just introduces risk.

Would we know the rules beforehand?
If we were just told 'blue= you want everyone to survive" and "red = you don't want everyone to survive", but were unaware of the actual way the choice led to the consequence described, that would make it a more honest question, without the possibility of mass collusion. I think
🤔 🔴 🔵

At The time of my vote (blue) it was 53%. So everyone survives.

No, I don't agree with your analysis.

If you vote blue, it introduces a chance of death. If you vote red, there's no chance of death. It's not at all sensible to vote blue. I think you're still coming at this with the attitude that it's somehow morally superior to vote blue. I don't believe that. It's just IMO misunderstanding the question.

You could say that in theory, if everyone chooses blue then it makes the bowl safe for everyone...but it'll be safe for everyone if they all just eat the red sweets anyway!! Blue just introduces risk.

Well no, because the good thing about choosing blue is that not everyone has to choose blue.

Choosing red means everyone has to choose red for everyone to survive, which is the optimal outcome. But it seems unlikely that everyone will do the same thing. Some people will choose blue regardless of what I choose. Therefore the most realistic way to get the optimal outcome where everyone survives is to try and tip the balance towards blue which only has to be a majority.

Maybe I am seeing it morally but since it's not a logic problem, that's not against any rule.

Majority red guarantees a risk whereas majority blue involves no risk.

No. Red literally means 'no choice of death', as pp says in the comment above yours.

If people wish to choose blue in some misguided suicide, you can't stop them, but only choosing blue introduces the risk of death, as suddenly now (if you choose blue) you're going to die unless enough people also choose blue.

If you choose red, then you live. No chance of death.

It's not about majorities, as you can't guarantee what the majority will be. It's about making the best choice for survival, based on what you know - which is: "If I choose red, I will live."

And adding to @OtterlyAstounding's point - choosing red doesn't involve death for anyone else.

@BertieBotts

Choosing blue involves you actively choosing a risk of death for yourself, and also hoping that a majority of others will, for some unknown and IMO not sensible reason, choose the risk of death for themselves as well.
The more I consider this, the more I think that blue is not only not sensible, but also morally questionable, because you do have to hope that many other people will put themselves at risk to support your choice. Red takes responsibility for yourself and puts nothing on anyone else.

It is a great question because it helps us to understand how people behave. It is a branch of mathematics called Game Theory.

I’d press blue because if I press red and my daughter pressed blue I would have to kill myself anyway. Can’t take the risk of killing my child.

So are we thinking this is a real OP or just someone training their chat bot to see if they can make an accurate game theory post? (Yes, must have three options for this style of game theory question. And one of the options IS the prisoner’s dilemma.) I know nothing about schooling these days, so maybe it’s super antiquated to think this could be a school assignment in which case fuck off OP and do it yourself, ya cheeky hen 😂

Because people you love may press blue? I mean, Im assuming this isn't something that gets publicly discussed before voting? So you'd need to be really sure your family, your friends, your kids would be choosing red yes?

Id rather die than know Id killed my kids.

Red. Not even a dilemma

I am sure my loved ones would do the same

But if everyone has the same information then it makes no sense to choose anything other than red.

If there’s an information asymmetry then that’s different but assuming we all have the same information I don’t see why you’d not press red.

I'm not motivated by my own survival. Blue

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

Yep.

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

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.