Poll: Would You Push The Button? (Moral Dilemma)

RJ 17

The Sound of Silence
Nov 27, 2011
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This is a classic moral decision question that I felt like posing since I've little better to do at the moment, so here we go.

You're at a carnival and something draws your attention to a small tent on the outskirts of the carnival ground. Walking inside, you see a figure sitting at a small table clad in a black cloak. Sitting on the table is a box with a red button on it. The figure explains that if you press the button, you'll become 1,000,000 dollars richer, however someone in your immediate family (father, mother, brother, or sister) will die immediately.

The question is simple: would you press the button? Explain your answer. If your answer is no, what - if any - amount would tempt you to press it?
 

Queen Michael

has read 4,010 manga books
Jun 9, 2009
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I wouldn't. Not unless they could guarantee that it was my dad who'd die.

...yeah, my dad was puh-retty abusive during my childhood.
 

Soundwave

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Sep 2, 2012
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Would not take the risk, because as much as I could use the money, I couldn't live with the knowledge that I had committed murder, especially the murder of a family member (Pushing the button is definitely murder, no matter which way you try to spin it).
 

tippy2k2

Beloved Tyrant
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I would not do it for any amount of money.

Even if you switched it up and said that it could be anyone in the world, I wouldn't press the button. Just because I'm not killing them with a gun doesn't mean I'm not pulling the trigger here...

Short of knowing that the button pressing would kill some death row psycho or something similar, I would never push that button.
 

VoidOfOne

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Aug 14, 2013
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I would not.

The money is not as important as a family member, at least in my family. Can't speak for anyone else's family, as some have jerks as close relatives. And when given the results, I do believe it would effectively be murder, as you are actively choosing for someone to die; even worse, someone close to you. Just because you can't control who that person is doesn't matter.
 

BathorysGraveland2

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Feb 9, 2013
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No, not my family. I would be tempted if it was just a random person somewhere in the world, but no. Not my family.
 

DugMachine

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For a million? No. Not even for a billion. Now.. if I could CHOOSE which family member that's a completely different story. But random? The risk is too high no matter how much money.
 

RJ 17

The Sound of Silence
Nov 27, 2011
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Good answers and fair reasonings so far. I would agree that the button is essentially murder. Someone is going to die specifically because of an action that you're taking, and you know for a fact that they're going to be dying because of that action.
 

Elfgore

Your friendly local nihilist
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Dec 6, 2010
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For a million no one would die, not worth it.

Now if it was a billion, I would click it for a random person. But for a family member I would not hit it. I might have some regrets but I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it.
 

Kae

That which exists in the absence of space.
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Nov 27, 2009
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Knowing myself, I probably would push it out of sheer curiosity, to be fair there is no way I would believe the button is actually capable of doing that, I'd probably think that it's some sort of prank or social experiment, so yeah I'd probably press it just to see if it'll flash me sign saying I'm the worst person that has ever lived or something, I'm not really sure what I'd think or do if it actually works though.
 

Johnny Novgorod

Bebop Man
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Feb 9, 2012
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No way in hell. If it was someone else that died, someone I didn't know, then I'd probably press it, who am I kidding. But I'm not killing my family, I love those guys.
 

Thaluikhain

Elite Member
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Jan 16, 2010
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BathorysGraveland2 said:
No, not my family. I would be tempted if it was just a random person somewhere in the world, but no. Not my family.
Actually, I remember hearing about a TV show episode along those lines, and thought that would be what this was about.

A guy gets offered a button to press, if he presses it he gets the money, and someone he doesn't know dies. He thinks it over and decides to press it. After he does, he asks where the people will go next, and they say "To someone who doesn't know you".

(Or maybe it was the whole family, not just one person)

...

I'd have to say "no" to the original question. However, that is a really nasty question to ask someone. Everytime you're short of money, or see someone better off than you that you think shouldn't be...you'll remember your decision.
 

Redlin5_v1legacy

Better Red than Dead
Aug 5, 2009
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No. My family might get on my nerves sometimes but they've been a far more positive in my life than negative. You could offer me complete domination of motherf*cking SWITZERLAND and I'd leave that button unpressed. I'll have no part in it.
 

Padwolf

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Sep 2, 2010
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I wouldn't press it. I love my family. No amount of money would tempt me to kill off a family member. However if it was a random stranger I would be tempted. However I don't know how I'd live with myself, as I'd think too much that the stranger had a family too and is a person with a life ahead of them. Either way it's all still committing murder.
 

Milanezi

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Mar 2, 2009
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Nope, I'm going through a sort of family crisis right now, a very unjustified one, and the simple fact of of seeing my mom pissed as hell already tears me apart; so, no deal.
 

Brandon237

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Mar 10, 2010
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I may just be tempted to burn the tent and destroy the button...
As much as my family and I don't get along that great I would certainly not push that for any amount of money.
 

Arakasi

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Not even if it were someone I had never met before. I don't consider it being a member of my family as being a factor worth considering.