The Prisoner's Dilemma, but worse

[mooninthewater]

A hypothetical thought experiment.

Assume the whole world, including those outside the Grove, have been given a button. They can choose to press or not press the button. If a majority of the world (so more than 50%) presses the button, then everyone who didn't press the button dies. If a majority of the world refused to press the button, everyone lives.

Do you press the button?

Comments

[cryopathy]

Of course! Nobody can resist pressing a good button, so I'm not too worried about people dying.

[mooninthewater]

So you're banking on everyone pushing the button?

[tempurahair]

Never! I would not dare press a button that could harm someone!

[mooninthewater]

That does mean there is a chance you may die. Do you still want to press it?

[bluebasketballed]

kyojuro........ press the button with me

[ninelines]

Aren't these supposed to be fun…?

[mooninthewater]

They're fun to me~!

[souninind]

Could we press others' buttons for them and have it count?

[tempurahair]

DO NOT PRESS MY BUTTON 8(

[mooninthewater]

In this hypothetical, everyone decides at the same time, away from each other. So, no, you cannot.

[lotusflower]

slamming the fucking button as we speak

[godsfavourite]

I'd stop Kanda from pressing the button

[mooninthewater]

fwiw you wouldn't have anyone able to press or not press the button for you~

[lyricistdontmiss]

Could we just like

not have this button??? like for real???? this button lowkey kind of bites

like who invented this button anyway, who said "oh, hey, you know what would be a great idea? making a button that triggers the torment nexus if a certain amount of people decide not to push it! everyone loves the torment nexus!"

[galaxyfarer]

[THANK YOU]

I agree. Who is this button for? Why do we need it?

[namuthing]

for real, not even a demon would think this shit up.
probably a politician.

[purifyingwind]

how the fuck are they even determining this. what would be considered 50%. is everyone being given an individual button to press? even kids?

[tempurahair]

How would an infant even press the button! This seems unfair!

[mooninthewater]

I'd say... the button was offered to people who have the ability to think critically. So young children and such wouldn't be included.

[outofsynth]

The majority of the world are going to press the button. The only way to be sure everyone survives is to make sure everyone agrees to press the button.

[charlastan]

YOU GOTTA DO IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. IT'S EASIER TO GET PEOPLE TO NOT DO SOMETHING THAN TO DO SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GOING FOR A MAJORITY. TELL EVERYONE THEY CAN IGNORE IT AND THEN MOST OF THEM WILL.

[missinglink]

I'm not understanding this sudden consensus of just assuming everyone would press the button when presented with it. The obvious answer here is to not play the game and to not press it, there's no reason to risk it otherwise. There's no stipulated reward, no other incentive. I would be more convinced if people would be promised wealth or something if they did press the button, but otherwise...

[mooninthewater]

To some, the reward would be not potentially dying.

[charlastan]

THIS IS DUMB

HOW DO WE KNOW WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF THE BUTTONS WON'T CHANGE THE RULES AND JUST KILL EVERYBODY? THERE'S NO POINT PUSHING IT OR NOT PUSHING IT WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO GAIN FROM IT SO I'D JUST BE TRYING TO BREAK OUT.

[purifyingwind]

break out from where? the fucking planet?

[foreversembrace]

how many people are in the world?

[mooninthewater]

No clue! Haven't been able to leave to go look and ascertain information like that. I'll ask Hoshibi next time we have book club.

In the meantime, we'll say about 7 billion people, since that's about how many people my home world has~