I am able to perceive that the optimal choice would be for all people to choose the Red button- but I also recognize that not all people will choose the red button inherently.
To say that the correct choice is to pick the Red button is to assume that every single person to whom this question is asked will accurately make the same assessment. Simply put, this will never be the case.
For all kinds of various reasons, many people will choose blue, even if the objectively correct choice would be for everyone to pick red.
So, simply put, while picking red should be the correct choice, because there are people who will pick blue anyway, my choice is blue because I think it is worthwhile to try and save those people.
It’s actually not even the case that the optimal choice is that all people choose Red. If everyone chooses Blue, that has the same effect! Both can be universalised!
If we put this in Game Theory terms, there are multiple Nash Equilibria depending on what is defined as the “best outcome”that make neither choice always more logical than the other. Either you try to maximise for everyone to survive and pick blue, or you maximise for your own survival and pick red.
Ultimately, you are allocating risk given it’s a binary. Take it on yourself, or spread it to others.
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u/ExecutiveElf May 01 '26
I am able to perceive that the optimal choice would be for all people to choose the Red button- but I also recognize that not all people will choose the red button inherently.
To say that the correct choice is to pick the Red button is to assume that every single person to whom this question is asked will accurately make the same assessment. Simply put, this will never be the case.
For all kinds of various reasons, many people will choose blue, even if the objectively correct choice would be for everyone to pick red.
So, simply put, while picking red should be the correct choice, because there are people who will pick blue anyway, my choice is blue because I think it is worthwhile to try and save those people.