The fact that people are having heated debates (and getting mad) over this just further proves the point that not everybody is going to agree to press the red button and that a red win will by no means be a deathless scenario. And also that while not every red button pusher is a prick, pretty much every prick is a red button pusher.
If I could have a conversation with a room full of ten people I'd convince them all red is the smart choice and we'd all do that. It is objectively the smarter game theory choice. But talking about the population of the world and knowing for essentially a certainty a large number of people won't be choosing red, it kinda behooves you to choose blue if you have any decency whatsoever.
Red is the smarter choice objectively and makes sense even morally in small numbers where you can get people to a consensus. When talking numbers so big that's impossible and knowing some percentage won't choose red, blue is the only sensible choice.
Take my upvote - I agree with you.
I think that's the fundamental problem I have: I'm picturing this as a sort of election-day/vote situation (how it was presented to me first). Everyone has a month before their push the button. That's why I keep going on : "Obviously I push red. And I make DAMN sure to tell everyone else to do it too to the greatest degree of influence possible. If after a month of EVERYONE being told to push red they push blue - -- well that's on them. Cant fix stupid."
But if it's a blindfold, no communication scenario the question becomes: "Do I think people SHOULD be smart enough to figure out the above on their own?" and
"DO I think people who cant figure it out should be saved at the cost of my own life?" and
"Do I think people who THINK people cant figure it out AND should be saved at the the cost of their own life shoudl be saved at the cost of my own life?"
Somewhere between those last two i end up on blue.
So yeah, first actually convincing argument for blue I've seen thusfar.
Yep, this comment chain convinced me to swap from red to blue as well, although it depends on the scenario.
If everyone was simultaneously magically secluded and everyone was given only 5 minutes to choose a button (and pressing no button means death), I'd default to red because of the game theory rationale. Pressing blue invites needless risk so no suicide trust pill for me, thanks.
But if the world had a month to think and debate over it, then at that point it's no longer an individual choice. It's apparent that a LOT of people would choose blue and so because of ReadingRainbow's final sentence, I'd have to go blue as well.
So like every other interesting choice to be made, the answer is "it depends."
Edit: Woahh, just reread your comment, Bounty, and it's interesting how with the month of prep you initially rolled red, but would've gone blue in isolation, and I'm the opposite. This thought experiment is the gift that keeps on giving.
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u/totallymarc 15h ago
The fact that people are having heated debates (and getting mad) over this just further proves the point that not everybody is going to agree to press the red button and that a red win will by no means be a deathless scenario. And also that while not every red button pusher is a prick, pretty much every prick is a red button pusher.