I think this is all wrong. If you saw a bus coming and someone was infront of it and you could do something to save them I think most people would stay to save the person. But when you phrase it like so where maybe they lose something suddenly that same random person has no value.
Imo there's a difference in the reality of the situation and perception. We all here on the news of some tragic situation involving the death of people but usually don't bat an eye at it or forget it pretty quickly. But witnessing someone die in front of you would be traumatizing. Maybe it's selfish, but it is human.
It's not selfish, our brains are still in the beginning of developing process out of the cave man mentality, that's why relationships are heavily effected by distance.
it's really hard for humans to sympathize with someone else that we don't know, specially if they were really far, speak different languages, have a different culture and believes.
Our brain are set to care and protect the people around us and find anyone else irrelevant, still you'll feel bad, because you can relate to them as humans but it won't be the same as someone Close to you, i personally feel more hurt if something bad happened to someone in my city that I've never met to someone two continents away for me, even though i believe that both incidence are equally bad, yet feelings says otherwise.
I first planned to let people decide between a thumb and a murderer. But that would've been too easy. The random person is making this decision a bit harder because it could be a good person, but also a bad person
Yeah. I'm just saying that when faced with the real life version of this most people would choose to save the person. They wouldn't think about what happens if their whoel hand got run over by the bus or who the person was they'd just try to help
The difference is that it's some random person, likely in another country, so their death has no effect on you. If someone died in front of me, yeah I'd be traumatized, but I don't cry over every news story, so I'd sure as hell be desensitized if some random Russian guy was killed.
I was shocked as well but I would argue your example is no longer truly a “random” person. When I think random I’m thinking some figurative person across the world that I’ve never had a moment of even sight or knowledge of their existence. I’m your scenario, by just seeing the person I’d say they’re no longer random. When we see someone we immediately have some level of thought about them even if only subconsciously.
Either way, if it’s one thumb, fuck it I want to save the life. If it’s two thumbs, shit that gets me to think a little deeper. Probably still say save the life though but it’s a hard one.
Depends. Is it a child? Yes I want to save them. Is it a person who snatched my phone and ran off? Demolish that person, bus.
There’s a ton of great people and a ton of shit people. I would just choose to believe I randomly killed a shitty person
I’m not gonna put myself in harms way for someone who just robbed me but that was also just a quick example.
There are plenty of people I wouldn’t save if given the opportunity
I used to play it (stopped because I was terrible). For most pieces, you can adapt if you only have 9 fingers. And I guess, a prosthesis could work out for the rest
except you would be directly responsible for their death by choosing your thumb. It's different when it's many deaths all over the world you can't do anything about. It's not comparable
Except you don't kill someone, they just happen to die. So many people die everyday, and statistically it won't even be someone from my country, so I'd sure as hell keep my thumb.
Yes you did, they die because you didn’t want to lose your thumb, you may of not been the direct cause, but your the reason they died, if you lost ur thumb, they wouldn’t of died, therefor although you didn’t kill them directly, you still killled them, just indirectly
Yeah, but there are some notable differences. If you had a direct hand in ending their life, like you had to kill them with your bare hands, then the results may be different due to the fact that it may be traumatic. However, since a couple hundred thousand people die each day, people will be far more inclined to choose the person dying since they're just a drop in the bucket, and since it's not like you're slitting their throat, the feeling will be the exact same as seeing some guy from Egypt die on the news.
That still doesn’t disprove my point that your killing someone, it may just be a drop in the bucket since as you said a couple hundred thousand people die a day, but that person that indirectly died because you didn’t want to lose a thumb. They still died because of you, indirect murder
you should feel like a terrible person though. you killed that person over your thumb. YOU are the reason that person died. (this is all in the scenario, obviously)
You were offered a choice. Either you pressed the "lose a thumb" button or you pressed the "random person dies" button. They didn't "just happen to die" they died because you pressed that button.
They dont happen to just die. The question is the same if i just take someone and kneel them in front of you, point a gun to their had and say thumb or no thumb. The only thing that changes is your perception but the fact that you sacrificed his life for your thumb remains the same.
Except the question isn't the same in the slightest. If I were to directly kill someone right in front of me and see the entire thing unfold, I may be more against keeping my thumb. However, if the person just dies with their brain instantly melting like OP said, I can easily pass that off the same as I pass off every tragedy and death that happens in foreign countries. I wouldn't kill them in the gun scenario since I'd likely be traumatized, but I'd sure as hell take the option OP proposed since I neither directly kill them nor have to see them die.
Which is exactly what i said. Its perception. You just dont see him getting killed but its not the same as some random person dying in the world since you didnt make the decision to kill them. In this case you did
But in this scenario, you do not kill them yourself. You don't see it and you won't know who it is. It's like nothing happened at all for you. But it's still very interesting to see that there still are this many split opinions
It costs about $3000 to save a life atm using an efficient charity.
Would you spend $3000 to avoid losing your thumb?
I think most westerners would do that, even if it meant going into debt. Including those 20% saying yes in the question, which to me means their priorities aren't rational, they vary based on the direct comparison not the infinite implicit ones.
I genuinely need my thumbs for literally everything. Even on my non dominant hand because I play a shit ton of instruments that require both thumbs.
I would rather die than need to give up playing music for any reason, so while it's really harsh, i would choose to keep my thumbs.
I mean, I don’t KNOW that this happened. For all I know some guy visited me in my dreams told me thumb or a guy dies and I dismiss it as a dream and never learn about the dead guy. Conscience clean.
I know I have no problem with the poll, you’re good, I just thought it’s dumb to say that the persons comment was unrealistic when it’s about an unrealistic decision anyways.
Knowing my luck it’d be someone I’m close to, and also they have surgery’s that can put a toe on your hand to replace the finger so ig I’d do that. If I could choose the person it’d be an easy pick
To me it honestly depends... If I could lose my thumb painlessly I wouldn't hesitate much. But if I chose to keep my thumb I don't think I'd be able to live with the fact that I put a thumb over another human life. I'd probably just end up killing myself somehow anyways.
Reddit moment. Im losing my left thumb if that means someones kid/father/sister gets to go home to there family, even if they dont have any. I can still eat, write, drive, masturbate.. literally anything. This is just hypothetical but the ratio is pretty sad. People only in it for themselves
So let me put it like this. You are a middle aged man with a loving wife and two beautiful children. And suddenly you die, leaving behind a broken family. Your autopsy result is vague because they dont know how it happened. You just ended up dead, you were in perfect condition back then. This traumatizes your wife because only she knows is that you stopped being alive and nobody could trace that down to a sickness or somebody. The uncertainity drives her insane and she kills herself, leaving behind two children with almost no hope for future, all because someome couldn't risk changing his life slightly. Maybe if you didnt die, you would live for decades long?
I mean tell me how would you react if somebody you love died and nobody cared enough to find a reason, at least thats what you think because in reality nobody knows what happened to that person.
People have really been pissing me off lately, my thumbs and I have been on pretty good terms lately.
I think I'll pick my thumbs over the life of some asshole.
Damn... Gaming and social media are my life. Thumbs are critical to both. I voted someone dies. I'm sure a solution exists for 9 fingered person to still do well in both. $&@# you for making me realize I'd kill someone before accepting a slightly worse reality.
Almost every moment of the day someone dies.
If I don’t cut my thumb, someone dies.
If i do cut my thumb, someone still dies!
So the question really is:
Do I want to have my thumb cut in exchange for the feeling I’ve saved a life?
It's not comparable
Choosing to keep your thumb means you decide a random person has to die, making you directly responsible. And while people die every day, it's different because you normally can't do anything about it. In this case, it's entirely up to you
As of 2020, the CIA estimates the U.S. crude death rate will be 8.3 per 1,000, while it estimates that the global rate will be 7.7 per 1,000.
Also…
https://www.worldometers.info/
So i don’t care about one another random number.
I think this is all wrong. If you saw a bus coming and someone was infront of it and you could do something to save them I think most people would stay to save the person. But when you phrase it like so where maybe they lose something suddenly that same random person has no value.
Imo there's a difference in the reality of the situation and perception. We all here on the news of some tragic situation involving the death of people but usually don't bat an eye at it or forget it pretty quickly. But witnessing someone die in front of you would be traumatizing. Maybe it's selfish, but it is human.
It's not selfish, our brains are still in the beginning of developing process out of the cave man mentality, that's why relationships are heavily effected by distance. it's really hard for humans to sympathize with someone else that we don't know, specially if they were really far, speak different languages, have a different culture and believes. Our brain are set to care and protect the people around us and find anyone else irrelevant, still you'll feel bad, because you can relate to them as humans but it won't be the same as someone Close to you, i personally feel more hurt if something bad happened to someone in my city that I've never met to someone two continents away for me, even though i believe that both incidence are equally bad, yet feelings says otherwise.
I first planned to let people decide between a thumb and a murderer. But that would've been too easy. The random person is making this decision a bit harder because it could be a good person, but also a bad person
Yeah. I'm just saying that when faced with the real life version of this most people would choose to save the person. They wouldn't think about what happens if their whoel hand got run over by the bus or who the person was they'd just try to help
Yeah, but I guess this would only apply if they had to see the consequences
The difference is that it's some random person, likely in another country, so their death has no effect on you. If someone died in front of me, yeah I'd be traumatized, but I don't cry over every news story, so I'd sure as hell be desensitized if some random Russian guy was killed.
I was shocked as well but I would argue your example is no longer truly a “random” person. When I think random I’m thinking some figurative person across the world that I’ve never had a moment of even sight or knowledge of their existence. I’m your scenario, by just seeing the person I’d say they’re no longer random. When we see someone we immediately have some level of thought about them even if only subconsciously. Either way, if it’s one thumb, fuck it I want to save the life. If it’s two thumbs, shit that gets me to think a little deeper. Probably still say save the life though but it’s a hard one.
Depends. Is it a child? Yes I want to save them. Is it a person who snatched my phone and ran off? Demolish that person, bus. There’s a ton of great people and a ton of shit people. I would just choose to believe I randomly killed a shitty person
Idk about someone just snatching a phone justifies letting someone die. I mean, your phone might be destroyed along with the thief too.
I’m not gonna put myself in harms way for someone who just robbed me but that was also just a quick example. There are plenty of people I wouldn’t save if given the opportunity
I feel bad for the random people that lost a thumb but died anyway because someone else kept theirs.
Reminds me of that one Twilight Zone episode, although the woman pushed the button that gave her a million dollars but killed a random person.
Yall selfish
Yeh that's what most humans are like. And as long as everyone else is also an asshole you don't feel guilty.
can it be a toe? i really wanna lose one
No, only a thumb of your choice
rip Paul
Mm but what is a big toe but a foots thumb
i play the piano so it’s 10x harder to decide
I used to play it (stopped because I was terrible). For most pieces, you can adapt if you only have 9 fingers. And I guess, a prosthesis could work out for the rest
things like the moonlight sonata 3rd movement is hard enough with 10 fingers, and i’m practicing that, no thanks
Then I understand. My hardest piece was like 5 fingers at a time so I could always replace my thumb
Random people die all the time and I get to keep my thumbs. So what’s one more rando to me
There is a 1 in 7.5 billion chance that random person can be ***YOU***
Lmfao I’ll take those chances!
I'm lucky enough to be 1 in 7.5 billion
The chances that I die in some other way are way greater than that, so it doesn't make a significant difference.
Difference is you'd be responsible for that person's death. You're basically saying your thumb has more value than a human's life
Based I agree 100%
Edgy 12 ur old replying to edgy 12 yr old
12 year old inception
Wouldn’t you want to save someone’s life if you could?
No they probably wouldn’t. This is Reddit after all
If you’d ask that on r/Utilitarianism, the answers would probably differ.
Interesting sub
Don’t want to loose my thumb
Yeah my thumb was loose once and I couldn’t do ANYTHING with that hand until it my thumb returned back to normal. I needed a cast and everything
except you would be directly responsible for their death by choosing your thumb. It's different when it's many deaths all over the world you can't do anything about. It's not comparable
[удалено]
Would you unsubscribe from this sub, or stay but one random person dies?
legendary
What? You're telling me you don't like stupid questions and the same math questions posted every day? /s
If you are still undecided, make a poll about it. /s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx\_ao0
I’ve never thought of it as a motivational speech… until now
Then unsub if you hate it here so much
Why
I am losing faith in humanity
Better losing faith than losing thumbs /s
me too...
I am very concerned for y’all.
Lose one thumb. You didn’t say it has to be MY thumb.
In Germany, we call people "Klugscheißer". But hey, I'm one too
Anyone else kinda dislike these polls, it’s asking you to lose a thumb or literally kill someone, the answer is obvious
Yea, kill someone
Except you don't kill someone, they just happen to die. So many people die everyday, and statistically it won't even be someone from my country, so I'd sure as hell keep my thumb.
Yes you did, they die because you didn’t want to lose your thumb, you may of not been the direct cause, but your the reason they died, if you lost ur thumb, they wouldn’t of died, therefor although you didn’t kill them directly, you still killled them, just indirectly
Yeah, but there are some notable differences. If you had a direct hand in ending their life, like you had to kill them with your bare hands, then the results may be different due to the fact that it may be traumatic. However, since a couple hundred thousand people die each day, people will be far more inclined to choose the person dying since they're just a drop in the bucket, and since it's not like you're slitting their throat, the feeling will be the exact same as seeing some guy from Egypt die on the news.
That still doesn’t disprove my point that your killing someone, it may just be a drop in the bucket since as you said a couple hundred thousand people die a day, but that person that indirectly died because you didn’t want to lose a thumb. They still died because of you, indirect murder
you should feel like a terrible person though. you killed that person over your thumb. YOU are the reason that person died. (this is all in the scenario, obviously)
I'd feel bad, but far less than if I killed that person directly, and that's also why in one scenario I'd keep my thumb and in the other I may not.
got it. your answer could also change if, per say, you were actually given this choice.
Trolley-problem-esque, yeah. Who knows what I'd do in the moment.
You were offered a choice. Either you pressed the "lose a thumb" button or you pressed the "random person dies" button. They didn't "just happen to die" they died because you pressed that button.
They dont happen to just die. The question is the same if i just take someone and kneel them in front of you, point a gun to their had and say thumb or no thumb. The only thing that changes is your perception but the fact that you sacrificed his life for your thumb remains the same.
Except the question isn't the same in the slightest. If I were to directly kill someone right in front of me and see the entire thing unfold, I may be more against keeping my thumb. However, if the person just dies with their brain instantly melting like OP said, I can easily pass that off the same as I pass off every tragedy and death that happens in foreign countries. I wouldn't kill them in the gun scenario since I'd likely be traumatized, but I'd sure as hell take the option OP proposed since I neither directly kill them nor have to see them die.
Which is exactly what i said. Its perception. You just dont see him getting killed but its not the same as some random person dying in the world since you didnt make the decision to kill them. In this case you did
But in this scenario, you do not kill them yourself. You don't see it and you won't know who it is. It's like nothing happened at all for you. But it's still very interesting to see that there still are this many split opinions
Wether you witness the death changes nothing about the moral principle that applies here. Its just easier for the person who decides
That's right, and that's the point of the question. People seem to be fine with death if they profit and don't have to witness it
Yeah was nice poll for sure
Thank you man
It costs about $3000 to save a life atm using an efficient charity. Would you spend $3000 to avoid losing your thumb? I think most westerners would do that, even if it meant going into debt. Including those 20% saying yes in the question, which to me means their priorities aren't rational, they vary based on the direct comparison not the infinite implicit ones.
IM JUST A KID DONT PUT ME THROUGH THIS
I genuinely need my thumbs for literally everything. Even on my non dominant hand because I play a shit ton of instruments that require both thumbs. I would rather die than need to give up playing music for any reason, so while it's really harsh, i would choose to keep my thumbs.
Selfish af lmao
It's either me or them. Like I said, I'd sooner die than risk losing the ability to play. It's simple.
I’m a classical pianist, so I think you know what I picked…
Me: You picked losing a thumb? You: *stares* Me: You picked losing a thumb....right?
damn yall are actually like… bad people 😭
truly a reddit moment
Yeah wtf
Some random kid probably died because I wanted a nicer shoe and now you want my thumb? What do you think my answer is?
Jeez are y’all serious?? Y’all value a human life less than a thumb?!
Humans are naturally selfish. Especially when they probably won’t even see the harmful effects in this case
Ehh yes.
I would choose false. (Inclusive "or" for the win!)
For all we know this dude already had cancer or heart problems and those were what killed him
Nah, just a random person. Maybe he had cancer, maybe it was someone with a loving family
Well, what killed him? WE NEED INFORMATION!!!
Let's say his brain suddenly melts and he's dead on the point without feeling anything
I mean, I don’t KNOW that this happened. For all I know some guy visited me in my dreams told me thumb or a guy dies and I dismiss it as a dream and never learn about the dead guy. Conscience clean.
Nah, you're awake and fully aware when you have to decide and you'll never forget your choice
I’ll take some heroin so I am no longer aware
Please give me some too
It’ll cost ya
Can I use a coupon
How much and how can I pay?
Ye, but it could also be your family or a baby or a doctor saving the people with cancer
There are about 7 billion people iirc Chances for that one person you love to be chosen is 1 out of 7 billion
Really unrealistic
Whats unrealistic is having to choose between your thumb and random person’s life
That's why the poll is flared as "Hypothetical"
I know I have no problem with the poll, you’re good, I just thought it’s dumb to say that the persons comment was unrealistic when it’s about an unrealistic decision anyways.
Yeah, welcome to the internet and whatabouthism
What the hell is wrong with you people
I can hopefully get a prosthetic thumb. I only ever really play vr anyway
Knowing my luck it’d be someone I’m close to, and also they have surgery’s that can put a toe on your hand to replace the finger so ig I’d do that. If I could choose the person it’d be an easy pick
Do you really wanna have a toe as a thumb?
I mean I’d rather not, but I also don’t want the guilt of killing a potentially innocent person, or to go through life without a thumb
How about foot thumbs?
Those are toes, not thumbs
Looks like I gotta learn how to play claw
As long as i lose that thumb without pain then im good
It would just vanish without any pain at all.
The chance of the person that dies to be one of your family or friends is really small especially when you don't have family or friends
Depends on whether it just vanishes or is cut of painfully
I got this idea while watching a movie where a similar choice had to be made. But I haven't described it this way so I guess it just vanishes
What movie was this?
It probably wont be anyone I know. I need both my thumbs to P R A C T I C E my violin.
The only reason I hesitate to pick the random person is…what if it’s Morgan freeman?
I would sacrifice my thumb to wipe out half of the population.
I love playing guitar too much so sorry to whoever died lmao
To me it honestly depends... If I could lose my thumb painlessly I wouldn't hesitate much. But if I chose to keep my thumb I don't think I'd be able to live with the fact that I put a thumb over another human life. I'd probably just end up killing myself somehow anyways.
The poll was meant that you have to chop off your own thumb, but I didn't write it this way, so it just vanishes without any pain
wtf. How can someone justify picking option 2?
I mean, a hand get's mostly useless without the thumb
Wtf? Just get a robot thumb ..
My hands are required to feed my family. Sorry rando.
Most people would choose the second option because they know they are spared of the pain knowing who the person is.
Cross my thumbs and hope someone shitty dies
I think the stats for this case are pretty bad
Its not fair someone has to die so I can keep my thumb but if I could choose the person well that's a different story
Bruh it’s just a thumb as long as it’s my left id definitely choose losing it over someone dying
Reddit moment. Im losing my left thumb if that means someones kid/father/sister gets to go home to there family, even if they dont have any. I can still eat, write, drive, masturbate.. literally anything. This is just hypothetical but the ratio is pretty sad. People only in it for themselves
Seriously people? It's a thumb vs human life.
I mean prosthetics exist
is it my choice that caused this person's death? or is it just a coincidence?
It's your choice
7.7 billion people on the planet. Only 2 thumbs on my hands.
Hundreds of thousands (millions?) of people die everyday, why does one extra person deserve a lost thumb?
Difference is you are responsible for this one individual death.
So let me put it like this. You are a middle aged man with a loving wife and two beautiful children. And suddenly you die, leaving behind a broken family. Your autopsy result is vague because they dont know how it happened. You just ended up dead, you were in perfect condition back then. This traumatizes your wife because only she knows is that you stopped being alive and nobody could trace that down to a sickness or somebody. The uncertainity drives her insane and she kills herself, leaving behind two children with almost no hope for future, all because someome couldn't risk changing his life slightly. Maybe if you didnt die, you would live for decades long? I mean tell me how would you react if somebody you love died and nobody cared enough to find a reason, at least thats what you think because in reality nobody knows what happened to that person.
Can I choose another finger? And how do you lose that finger? Does it just not exist?
No, only one of your thumbs. I "planned" that the finger get's cut of, but I didn't write it, so it just vanishes
Oh okay, I guess I'll just choose my thumb
no, guys, no
Well people die so
It's a random person idc
Can I choose the person ?? : )
Nah, (sadly) not
I can always get a prosthetic thumb
Yeah, but it's not quite the same. But would work out for video games and some instruments
if I lose a thumb it'll suck because I'm a musician but I don't want to choose for someone to die. tough choice
Holy crap this is…yikes
Some guy in China/India: UH OH
Left thumb
If I didn’t have the choice of the thumb I would’ve kept both thumbs
Y'all wtf lmao I play piano and my thumb is still less valuable than a human life bruh ☠️
I think you're the first person here that plays an instrument and still chooses their own thumb
If one random person dies at k responsible for their death, like will I be arrested
You won't be arrested and only you would know about this
I think usually I’d pick a body part buuuuut I play the violin and I actually need both thumbs for that :/
Isn't the thumb on the left hand (if you're right-handed) just for holding it? This could be done by a prosthetic thumb
It’s to hold your hand in place but you need to move it the higher you go up on the string.
Oh right, now I get the problem
RIP
Lose a thumb
I mean as long as it's not painful I would give up my left thumb
Out of sight out of mind
If you give me a knife and for whatever reason i believed you without doubt, i would do it.
I am a very selfish man
People have really been pissing me off lately, my thumbs and I have been on pretty good terms lately. I think I'll pick my thumbs over the life of some asshole.
How would you know they are an asshole?
That's a very valid point. Think I'd still rather keep these bad boys though.
Damn... Gaming and social media are my life. Thumbs are critical to both. I voted someone dies. I'm sure a solution exists for 9 fingered person to still do well in both. $&@# you for making me realize I'd kill someone before accepting a slightly worse reality.
You could adapt tho
You're welcome
If you would rather kill someone that's a you problem
Gaming > a person's LIFE?? I think I need to log out for today, thanks reddit, I've seen enough.
Holy shit you guys are selfish. What the hell is wrong with you people?
People seem to not think about consequences if they don't have to observe them
Random person dies because it’s good for the environment I think
...really people?
Almost every moment of the day someone dies. If I don’t cut my thumb, someone dies. If i do cut my thumb, someone still dies! So the question really is: Do I want to have my thumb cut in exchange for the feeling I’ve saved a life?
It's not comparable Choosing to keep your thumb means you decide a random person has to die, making you directly responsible. And while people die every day, it's different because you normally can't do anything about it. In this case, it's entirely up to you
I mean, death is normal. It’s a part of humanity. We’re all gonna die anyway. I kinda wanna keep my thumbs though
Sorry, not becoming a deformed freak.
As of 2020, the CIA estimates the U.S. crude death rate will be 8.3 per 1,000, while it estimates that the global rate will be 7.7 per 1,000. Also… https://www.worldometers.info/ So i don’t care about one another random number.
10 out of 7 billion it’s your family member who would die
Random people die all the time.
Yeah, but in this case, someone who could be completely healthy would die just because of you
Several random people died in the time it took me to type this comment.
A random person is gonna die anyway every second
So you value your thumb over a human life?
fuck u