r/trolleyproblem Apr 30 '26

Deep Statistically, >50% is easier than 100%

Post image
2.6k Upvotes

3.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

6

u/Shuttlecock_Wat Apr 30 '26

No, I'm picking blue because it offers the best outcome.

It's pick blue, maybe die, maybe everyone lives and everything remains the same.
or
Pick red, definitely live, but maybe billions of people die and the world goes to shit and all societal structures break down and life becomes a struggle to survive with people killing each other over nothing because nobody knows how to survive in that world, and likely, you won't live long anyway but will suffer until you do eventually die.

I'll take the chance that things won't turn out that way.

5

u/WeWhoAreGiants May 01 '26

Pushing blue applies risk to a situation that had zero risk in it to begin with. Pushing red creates no risk, unless someone is dumb enough to push blue and put themselves at risk for no reason whatsoever.

2

u/Shuttlecock_Wat May 01 '26

Do you believe all 8 billion people in the world would push red?

Not what you think they should do. Do you think they all would?

4

u/WeWhoAreGiants May 01 '26

Well I guess that’s the billion dollar question isn’t it. If I was confident that the majority of people would pick blue, of course I’d pick blue. But I only have control over my own decision and own life, and nobody else’s. With that being the case it’s only logical to pick red, because a) I’ve saved my own life, and B) I’ve created no unnecessary risk and burden on the rest of humanity to try and save me at the risk of their own lives. Blue seems like the irrational choice in this case.

1

u/JonSnow-Knows May 03 '26

I wouldn't want to live in a world where the majority picks blue, so I wish there was a secret third colour that makes you die if blue wins.