Pressing the Button

[Zekurom]

Okay, here's another question from the Book of Questions - this time, it's not a Sadistic Choice so much as it is a question on how much you value people.

You and somebody you love are placed into two separate rooms - with no communication between the two rooms. In each room is a button. In the next 60 minutes, you can choose to either press it, or not press it. Here's what happens if you do:

• If neither of you presses the button, you will both die.
• If only one person presses the button, the person who pressed it will die.
• If both people press the button, the person who pressed it first will die. (No, it is not possible to press them at the exact same time.)

So, the question this time is: Would you press the button, and at what time?

This only got its own topic because it would be confusing if I fit it into the existing A Moral Dilemma topic.

 

[Marik]

I'd press after 59 minutes. It doesn't matter who dies. One person surviving is better than none.

 

[Aladar]

Zekurom, that's sick, dude. Wrong-sick!

 

[mini-chan]

this is confusing....
I might press it...

 

[Falconwing]

A test of character.

The answer is impossible. What one says about a given situation may altogether be different than what he actually does. I'd like to say I'm the kind of person who would press first, but I cannot. Am I really that selfless of a person? I don't know. Not until I'm in that situation.

 

[Zekurom]

Zekurom, that's sick, dude. Wrong-sick!

It's not a question I made up. I just decided to share it with you people.

A test of character.

The answer is impossible. What one says about a given situation may altogether be different than what he actually does. I'd like to say I'm the kind of person who would press first, but I cannot. Am I really that selfless of a person? I don't know. Not until I'm in that situation.

You are absolutely correct.

 

[Kavidun]

I'd press it straight away. I don't care. I know this is really bad, but I want to live forever.

 

[FungusbubbleZ]

...disable their button.

 

[Zekurom]

I'd press it straight away. I don't care. I know this is really bad, but I want to live forever.

Umm... pressing it straight away means you will definitely die...

...disable their button.

...can't.

 

[Kavidun]

Umm... pressing it straight away means you will definitely die...

I misread it, I thought if you pressed the button you'd live.

 

[Mijzelffan]

I'm not sure. If it were to be one of my siblings I'd press it immediatly (maybe after some thought), but I think if it were to be one of my parents they'd press the button immediatlly before me anyway :/