A truly sadistic choice

[Qwandri]

I can't imagine anyone but the most extreme utilitarians/crazy people actually trying to cause physical harm to one who chose B. It's just not feasible to have anyone in their right mind choose B without being *literally* forced. As in, no option to say no with consequences, just no option to say no at all.

[Astrocyte]

I can't imagine anyone but the most extreme utilitarians/crazy people actually trying to cause physical harm to one who chose B.

I dunno, man -- look at the mob outside the courthouse at the Casey Anthony trial, and the death threats and abuse the jurors got after the trial was over -- and that was without a god or some other powerful figurehead telling them all to do it. I find it pretty easy to believe.

But then, I have pretty much no faith in people 

[maverixk]

I can't imagine anyone but the most extreme utilitarians/crazy people actually trying to cause physical harm to one who chose B. It's just not feasible to have anyone in their right mind choose B without being *literally* forced. As in, no option to say no with consequences, just no option to say no at all.

I don't know, I would probably be kinda frustrated with the person. I wouldn't try to physically harm them, but I'm not a violent person. And why is it not feasible to have anyone choose B? Apparently several people here have said they would choose B.

[Skullgasm]

Like this thread.

Something that seems to be ignored is that either choice has (a?)god directly influence. That would have some serious implications.

Also, by worst nightmare do you mean the thing we dread the most, or literally the worst nightmare that we've had. Cuz I haven't really had a bad nightmare (closest thing I can remember is not being able to turn on a light in a dream, and being a little annoyed)

If its the thing we dread most, then Id pick A, because Id be interested to find out what the thing I dread most is.


And what exactly do you mean by suffer for eternity? Would the nightmare take place in another dimension, or on earth, and you can walk around and stuff and its just happening, or what?

What if the thing we dread most changes during this?

[Cel]

Also, by worst nightmare do you mean the thing we dread the most, or literally the worst nightmare that we've had. Cuz I haven't really had a bad nightmare (closest thing I can remember is not being able to turn on a light in a dream, and being a little annoyed)

Wow. The very concept of that is like paradise to me... every other dream I have seems to either involve torture, murder or centipedes.

[Skullgasm]

Wow. The very concept of that is like paradise to me... every other dream I have seems to either involve torture, murder or centipedes.

I do this weird thing in my dreams; When something scary shows up, I "capture" it, mentally, and pretend its on my side.

I mean, its my head.... so it kinda is.

Concept came from a mtg book I read along time ago, had a detailed thing about dementia summoning.

BACK ON TOPIC ARG

Someone mentioned something about a loophole of your family being hurt being your worst nightmare, even though the thing you paid for was no one being hurt. I think in order to avoid that and other problems, the god would have you imagine it, or you die and it occurs in the afterlife. As in, its not really your family, but you think it is. In order for that to work, your memory would have to be erased too.


As for people rushing to kill you if you pick B, I think alot of people would rush to aid you too. Sure you chose B, but its still the god that initiated this.

Heres a funny semi related comic: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1366

[Aves]

1. Choice B. Humans in general are selfish. I am human. Thus I will choose the path that seems less dangerous to my health and goals.
2. Hope that the sadistic god will not offer me the choice. If everyone were logical, then nobody would do anything to the person who chose the latter option. Sadly, humans are not wholly logical.

[furballdn]

Second choice. Taking all the world's suffering on your own shoulders and then making everyone hate you would be pretty pointless. (Yes, I know it's very selfish), but I'd have to take choice 2.

If I knew someone who took choice 2, I probably wouldn't do anything since that is what I would've have done.

[johannhowitzer]

Had to think about this one for a bit, and I think I would choose option A.  Why?

The worst nightmare I could possibly imagine would be pretty horrifying at first, but look at what happens when you experience something frightening over and over: you get desensitized to it.  I think the longer that eternity goes, the more I don't care about it.  And I see a lot of suffering around me all the time and my heart breaks for it, and I've never been one to care what people think of me.  If I can make their lives better, I'll do it... and the knowledge of that sacrifice would give me endless satisfaction.

Let's say someone you care about is framed for a crime that would tear his family apart by putting him in prison for a decade.  You can go in and falsely confess the crime yourself, but then the punishment will be eternity in prison.  You will be sitting in prison not thinking of the imprisonment itself, but what you gave to the other person, allowing them to live their lives happily.

[maverixk]

Had to think about this one for a bit, and I think I would choose option A.  Why?

The worst nightmare I could possibly imagine would be pretty horrifying at first, but look at what happens when you experience something frightening over and over: you get desensitized to it.  I think the longer that eternity goes, the more I don't care about it.  And I see a lot of suffering around me all the time and my heart breaks for it, and I've never been one to care what people think of me.  If I can make their lives better, I'll do it... and the knowledge of that sacrifice would give me endless satisfaction.

Let's say someone you care about is framed for a crime that would tear his family apart by putting him in prison for a decade.  You can go in and falsely confess the crime yourself, but then the punishment will be eternity in prison.  You will be sitting in prison not thinking of the imprisonment itself, but what you gave to the other person, allowing them to live their lives happily.

I believe that this has been addressed. The deity would lead you to believe that you hadn't made their lives better or cause you to not be desensitized to it.

[furballdn]

Worst nightmare: Playing with this deck for the rest of your elements career.

by furballdn

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[teffy]

I think option B is the more reasonable one (although it could be the wrong one). Why ?
First , the god doesn´t say what "remove suffering" means. It could mean:
- The god destroys the earth, so there´s nobody to suffer.
- The god let men live forever without feelings and reason. All the people know is, that I chose option A.
- The god does nothing for humanity because he sees no suffering and let me experience my worst nightmare.

If I shall experience my nightmare, he´ll probably choose the interpretation which is the worst for humanity.
Furthermore, do I not know, what the sense of life is and who or what I really am. So is removing the suffering really good ? Is it probable, that the sadistic god will try to help me with option A ?

BUT, option B could be the better one, e.g. if humanity would soon experience the worst nightmare anyway (or sth even worse).
If I found out, that a person chose option B, I would gratulate him to a reasonable choice. The world is no lab.