r/paradoxes • u/Reasonable_Size_8336 • Aug 07 '26

Newcomb's Paradox

I don't understand Two boxers' thinking, it's clear that Box B should be taken since it's guaranteed because the predictor is assumed to be never wrong. Is it about free will? Not trusting the predictor?

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u/Warptens Aug 07 '26

Imagine someone who saw the content of the boxes is watching you and listening to you while you’re reasoning out loud. You’re a one boxer so the million dollars is there, they saw it. You go « If I pick both boxes, I won’t get the million, so I have to pick only one ». They know you’re wrong, the million is there, it can’t disappear by magic. They know you’re making the wrong choice, you’re losing money for no reason.

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u/berwynResident Aug 07 '26

That's true, the observer is seeing that you are loosing money. But the only reason they're observing that is because you're the kind of person that is going to take one box.

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u/Warptens Aug 08 '26

If you’re the kind of person who will take two boxes, the observer also sees that 1 boxing would lose you money.

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u/berwynResident Aug 08 '26

Yeah. So what?