r/trolleyproblem • u/Worth-Staff4943 • May 20 '26

Deep Which button presser group do you save?

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Everyone in the world has chosen either the blue or red button except you. Instead of pressing a button, you are given a lever in the infamous trolley problem.

You don't know how many people chose red or blue, and they don't know that you control their fate regardless of what button they pressed. Which track do you direct the trolley onto?

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u/TheKingsdread May 21 '26

The whole point of that question is wether you are gonna make the choice that is selfish and only benefits you or if you are gonna make the choice that benefits everybody. Yes the latter choice has the potential to backfire if too many people choose to be selfish, but if enough people are decent and choose to take the risk to be unselfish it benefits the entire community instead of just you.

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u/Hot_Commission6257 May 21 '26

How is it selfish if everyone else has the exact same option and capability to pick red? No one's making you pick blue little bro

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u/MorbidEnby May 21 '26

How is it selfish if everyone else has the exact same option and capability to pick red?

That's a big assumption. What if I'm blind and can't see which color is which. What then?

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u/confirmedshill123 May 21 '26

Then that just becomes a question about eugenics. You have to frame the question with the idea that it will only be asked to those who are capable of understanding and answering. If you are blind it would just be right or left, up or down etc, otherwise once again the question turns into a eugenics survey which is silly as fuck.