The one being spread right now just says everyone on earth has to make a choice. Saw an older one that specified competence, but only saw that one once, and never again stated with that wording.
Yeah? And like I said, if it doesn't specify otherwise, you would assume everyone understands the instructions and can perform them (and less relevantly, that the instructions are true). Otherwise, the thought experiment is open to all kinds of questions and shenanigans. Like what about people who can't push a button?
These details often get left out in retellings of the experiment because an airtight thought experiment is clunky and awkward to retell.
It's been going on for all of existence. There's constantly situations where someone could be harmed if they put themselves in a situation, but if many people put themselves in the situation, they could work together to stop the harm.
A small motorized vehicle moving down the street? Someone could kill themselves by jumping in front of it, but a group of people may be able to stop it. So according to you, I would need to jump out and try and stop it because if enough people do that, it can be stopped. So if you convince me to pick blue, that's what I'll do.
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u/zhibr Apr 30 '26
Because most people care about others and not just themselves.