Male
South Brazil
Seen November 23rd, 2009
Posted November 21st, 2009
154 posts
13.9 Years
So! I just wanna hear lots of different opinions. There'll be a deeper reflection later on this thread ;)
Someone gives you a little box with a red button on it. If you push the button someone you don't know will die, but you'll also get a million dollars.
...




Would you push the button? Yes? No? Why?
Male
South Brazil
Seen November 23rd, 2009
Posted November 21st, 2009
154 posts
13.9 Years
That's really sweet Samme. Good to hear from ya. I just don't get what you mean by moral nature.
Do you mean ethics? It's not natural, it's cultural. Nor is moral, as it changes on different societies and different times.
Stick around, I'll post a tale about the issue later on ;)
Age 29
Seen November 5th, 2017
Posted November 5th, 2017
3,499 posts
14.8 Years
I certainly would push the button. Plenty of people die every day, one more doesn't really matter to me and I wouldn't really care about the fact that I was responsible for the death.

If I somehow manage to kill a famous person, I'd be pretty annoyed if I killed someone cool; but satisfied if I managed to kill a scummy British politician or something.

Samme!

Haterz gonna hate

Age 27
Male
Seen October 3rd, 2011
Posted May 30th, 2010
2,349 posts
14.1 Years
That's really sweet Samme. Good to hear from ya. I just don't get what you mean by moral nature.
Do you mean ethics? It's not natural, it's cultural. Nor is moral, as it changes on different societies and different times.
Stick around, I'll post a tale about the issue later on ;)
Yeah, that's what I meant. I can never think of sayings when I need to xD;

ReyRey-Pyon

THREAD KILLER

Age 29
Seen February 6th, 2015
Posted January 5th, 2012
1,006 posts
14.1 Years
I'm usually against pushing large red buttons
red buttons cause nothing but trouble...but, i probably don't give a damn about the life that is lost, I'll get a million dollars...and

i always did want to push a mysterious large red button


I accept your offer :D
Female
Seen July 27th, 2010
Posted July 27th, 2010
421 posts
13.9 Years
i definitely would NOT push the button. i'd never kill an innocent human being just to further myself in life. i'm not that selfish.
"Ask a gentern
who they prefer.
Ten out of nine
will say the Pavi.
The most dashing;
panty-snatching,
I will leave your
diapers dripping.
Two hearts -
mark it up.
Pavi steals all
of the hearts."


Timbjerr

T-o-X-i-C

Age 36
Female
Texas
Seen May 30th, 2022
Posted January 28th, 2016
7,415 posts
19.7 Years
It truly depends on the person that will suddenly drop dead. All that you've given me is that it's someone I don't know, which will initially pique my interests as it will assuredly not interfere with my social life in any ways and I still walk away a million dollars wealthier...and it is money that I could really use.

Upon further analysis of the quandary, I would rather dislike being responsible for the death of a genuinely good person such as a priest, a doctor on the cutting edge of cancer study, or a kindergarten teacher...on the other hand, if the person on the receiving end of my punishment is a murderer/rapist or one of the many many corrupt businessmen/politicians in the world, I would most likely have no reservations ridding the world of their filth to pocket an easy million.

statistically speaking, there are more hardened criminals and corrupt businessmen in the world than there are certifiable saints, which means that in this little gamble, the odds of killing someone that deserves to burn in Hell is greater than the odds of killing someone that's already earned their way into Heaven...

...In the end, I think a simple coin flip should suffice in handling this moral quarrel...simply because I could really, really use this money. :P

Guillermo

i own a rabbit heh

Age 28
Australia
Seen April 11th, 2015
Posted May 18th, 2014
6,794 posts
14.8 Years
Um, everyone that says no is probably just saying that to look genuinely nice or caring. Don't get me wrong, some people would find it in their heart not to, but.. 99% of people would press it.

I would. I'd just hope I don't kill someone like a good singer or actor.
credittoDukey
one life, one chance


| | le deux | | so-so-soulful

Captain Fabio

Age 33
London, UK
Seen November 4th, 2021
Posted November 2nd, 2021
12,193 posts
17.1 Years
I don't know this person.
I could benefit from that money and change my life.

I would push it.
Like Ryan said, people die in the world, as harsh as it is, another person in a day, isn't going to make much difference.
If I died today, there wouldn't be any fuss.
Family and friends would grieve, but that is it.

People outside of Bristol and Cheshire wouldn't know.

Wings Don't Cry

Maybe she's born with it

Age 28
New Zealand
Seen January 24th, 2020
Posted May 19th, 2016
1,939 posts
14.7 Years
Who knows? I could press the button but I'm pretty sure it would choose someone on the brink of death making it seem like they died without my interference. Of course killing someone is gonna hurt more than just the person dying, it'll be no better than using a Deathnote.

3DS Friend Code: 1435 - 7175 - 2893

Ho-Oh

used Sacred Fire!

Age 31
Female
QLD, Australia
Seen June 5th, 2022
Posted April 23rd, 2022
35,988 posts
17.5 Years
Warning: Um, this post starts nice then ends mean, this isn't aimed at anyone in particular, just a few replies and I guess probably society in general because they're likely to think that.

Ughh, if it HAD to be the million or nothing, I wouldn't take it. As much as I hate humans I don't know, there's gotta be somebody for me (yeah go song lyrics o3o) or at least I'm hoping so, and in which case, I could have destroyed any chance of that, and yeah, my happiness comes into it too, since there are many factors affecting why I wouldn't. Another factor is... I'd just feel really guilty, I mean, I still feel bad for accidentally killing my quail.. God, if it wasn't done by accident, then I'd feel remorse forever, idk, it'd really get to me.

This in a way, is kinda similar to stealing. I wouldn't steal anyone elses stuff because I don't want to ruin an aspect of their lives in any possible way, and ending a life.. I would not do that. And even if there's noone for me, there's still a whole lot of friends I haven't met yet, and even if the friends I have now are nice, I just wouldn't want to as I still really want to meet a lot of people.

But hey, what if the random person was your future child too? Yeah wouldn't that just suck? :D Orrr, what if someone pressed the button and killed YOU.

Killed someone you love... ruined their lives as well as yours - that part of you could also be missing. Yeah, now I'm bringing karma into it like if you do something bad, something bad will happen to you, but really, that's how I see it.

Oh and. Money. Why should money equate to the loss of another's life?

SINCE WHEN HAS MONEY EVER MADE A DIFFERENCE? Even if you had no money, SOMEONE in this world would be nice enough to help you out, if you killed someone you could ruin said chance for another. Ultimately that could lead to another life lost.

And what the hell, why should ANYONE ever use the excuse that said person was going to die very soon. That doesn't matter. In those last few seconds SOMEONE could develop SOMETHING to help save their lives. If you have that attitude you might as well kill yourself now, because you have no compassion for other human beings. Why bother living on earth if you don't care about anyone else? Seriously, why bother existing?

Even if people around you die and you weren't involved, WHY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEATHS? It's giving up someone elses LIFE. SOMEONE'S LIFE. Everything... those nine months spent in labour by that person's mother, the pain, the suffering, the life, the future, the destiny, their reason for living.. it'll all be gone.

I don't know how anyone COULD NOT CARE ABOUT BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE'S DEATH. If you love killing random people so much, go be a murderer and go rot in jail where the rest of us who want to enjoy life don't have to put up with any of you. AND YET, most people that would take the million dollars would actually object to murdering anyone themselves. Yeah that's logic for ya. :D

I believe that everyone has some sort of destiny, and ending that earlier than expected, that's... just sad.

Also, as much as I'd like to do something bad to the robbers, I wouldn't. If you do that, you're just putting yourself on the same level as all the sick, twisted idiots that are in society. If you just killed them all, the world would be a better place, but no, that can't happen. So that rules out killing the idiots.

So how about killing a generally nice, good person, who actually made a contribution to life on earth? And no, this does not mean celebrities. I don't know why people immediately think of celebrities being the ones you'd hate to have killed. Since when should their lives be compared to someone who actually changed the world, made an improvement to the world... This meaning a doctor, someone that saves lives-- oh, I know why you don't care, because you want to end lives, right, I get it. o3o Though this isn't saying celebrities should die, but it is saying you should instead feel remorse for those that save lives.

...

Yeah, that was basically how I feel about it, again, not directed at anyone in particular, society in general. :3 And I'm sorry if I offended anyone by my views, I didn't mean to.
Seen February 27th, 2010
Posted October 20th, 2009
246 posts
15.9 Years
If human clone is real and the probability of killing one of the mass production clones is high
or else, I will push the button because the chance of killing someone important is very low.

I want to know how will that person get killed, by sudden death or car crash.

My mom said sometimes you MUST be selfish, however, I know that my mom faced a selfish person.

The price of lives are relative, from person to person. The prices of your family members are high, and your friends are mid-high, people who you met are medium, and other people in the world are low.

You will get a different opinion and reasons if the button is REAL and right in front of you.
Also, beware of the "big red button" stereotype.

Aurafire

provider of cake

Age 32
Male
New York
Seen April 25th, 2017
Posted November 8th, 2011
5,735 posts
15 Years
It would depend on the manner/implications of the person's death. If I had no way of knowing who I was killing, then I wouldn't push the button. I mean, if the person I killed were some horrible criminal or a terrorist or something, then hell yeah I'd take the money, but I wouldn't want to take the chance that I'd be killing someone good.

Age 25
Male
I would love to tell you but I just. don't!
Seen July 29th, 2014
Posted February 13th, 2011
807 posts
14.2 Years
it would depend how they died because a long painful one I wouldn't but if it was
b) someone who hated me and I hated them
c) hated there life, then I probably would :/
I know thats pretty sick but I wouldn't on most circomstances not unless it was any of them :(

oh or if it was a murderer or terrorist then absoloutly. nuff said they have ruined lives :(
~Credit to ZappySpiker~
Male
South Brazil
Seen November 23rd, 2009
Posted November 21st, 2009
154 posts
13.9 Years
People, it's so nice to hear so many different opinions on the issue. I'm really glad you took the interest, thanks for sharing.

If human clone is real and the probability of killing one of the mass production clones is high
or else, I will push the button because the chance of killing someone important is very low.
I can see you've never heard about how personality develops itself on everyone, but that's ok. So that you know, basically, your genes are just part of the equation. If there were 6 billion clones of the same person on the planet, none of them would be the same person, so I guess, still if there were clones (in wich case you would be aware they're different people ;)), it would be no deal for you.

It would depend on the manner/implications of the person's death. If I had no way of knowing who I was killing, then I wouldn't push the button. I mean, if the person I killed were some horrible criminal or a terrorist or something, then hell yeah I'd take the money, but I wouldn't want to take the chance that I'd be killing someone good.
That arises another interesting reflection:
What is being a good person? It's very subjective. If you're jewish for instance, I'd be a bad person if I ate pork. If you were me, I'd be a bad person if I ate any animal, or even eggs, milk or honey.
For that matter, my take on it is you can't ever know what really is goodness, you can just do everything you can, to absorpt the max out of life, and fight your lungs out for what you believe in.

SINCE WHEN HAS MONEY EVER MADE A DIFFERENCE? Even if you had no money, SOMEONE in this world would be nice enough to help you out, if you killed someone you could ruin said chance for another. Ultimately that could lead to another life lost.
That's really something I often question myself about. Money is virtual. Lives are damn real. Also, no one really wants to know my neverending takes on the virtual/real issue. :laugh:
But hey, what if the random person was your future child too? Yeah wouldn't that just suck? :D Orrr, what if someone pressed the button and killed YOU.
JACKPOT!

So, now for the tale!

From The Twighlight Zone (YEAH, I'M THAT OLD, SO WHAT?:D), translated from a version I found in Portuguese, nevermind my grammar. ;)

In a fine summer morning, a young just-married couple gets a visit from a guy in white. Though he looks like a real estate agent, there's something dark upon the visitor.
— I have an offer to make — he says.
He then opens his briefcase and shows the couple a little box with a shining gadget and a red button.
— This is gonna be here for the next 24h. If you push the button, someone you don't know will die immediatly.
— That's silly! Why would we push the button?
— Cause you would get a million dollars!
After emphathizing the person who would die was unknown to them, the little man in white said goodbye and left.
At first, the couple thought it was a joke, but soon started to talk, and take on account all pros and cons they could think of. Adam, Eva and the forbidden fruit. At night - and on her initiative, the biblical tale would repeat itself on detail, even with the hissing of a snake that would appear in dreams - they took the courage and pushed the button.
The next day, the man in white came back with a briefcase full of money. It was no joke, the money was there, someone they didn't know was really dead.
— I hope you enjoy the money — said the man in white. — Now I shall take my box and look for another customer.
— Customer? — said the woman, intrigued. — You'll make someone else the same offer?
— Sure — said the man, closing his briefcase. — And be sure this person doesn't know you!
Seen January 1st, 2023
Posted April 20th, 2020
4,423 posts
15.4 Years
I don't know. You can't really say how you're going to react to these situations because they're just too big to comprehend. I'm sure it's easy to type on your keyboard, 'no, I wouldn't take the money, I value human life too much for that,' but if you were actually put in the situation, I have no doubt that all of us would at least think about pressing the button. And then there are the people who say stuff like, 'one person? I'd kill a hundred people for a million dollars!' who, if given the opportunity, probably couldn't handle killing anybody, even if they didn't know who it was.

A good question, jupotatoes, but an unanswerable one.
'It's been a prevalent notion. Fallen sparks. Fragments of vessels broken at the Creation. And someday, somehow, before the end, a gathering back to home. A messenger from the Kingdom, arriving at the last moment. But I tell you there is no such message, no such home -- only the millions of last moments . . . nothing more. Our history is an aggregate of last moments.'
Male
South Brazil
Seen November 23rd, 2009
Posted November 21st, 2009
154 posts
13.9 Years
A good question, jupotatoes, but an unanswerable one.
That's why it's a good one! ;) It raises big discussions.
Also, that's just why I didn't try to express my own take on it: ya can't really know what you'd do hypothetically. You really have to be there.
The thread was real fun though, I'm glad you all had something to share.
I might do this more often then :D