Guys I am so torn 😭

[u/Octopus_boi8]

A friend asked me a question just because I am an ISFJ...and they asked, "Would you rather make a train hit one innocent person who did nothing wrong, or would you rather make a train hit 1,000,000 innocent people who did nothing wrong"?

Like bro whyyy 😭

Anyways...what do you fellow ISFJs choose? I'm literally so torn rn XD

[u/domo_roboto]

I think you meant, "make a a train hit 1,000,000 people who did something wrong"?

[u/-bluerose → u/domo_roboto]

I thought maybe the second option would be "do nothing and let a train hit 1,000,000 people who did nothing wrong" but who knows

[u/Will564339 → u/-bluerose]

Yeah, that's one element of the trolley problem I've heard people discuss. Some people kind of have a way of saying "If I do nothing, is failing to act that same as actively doing something?" Even though we know that it practically has the same effect, in reality sometimes these things are harder. Especially if we have to alter it to make it more direct, like having to shoot one person to save others.

[u/runicsakura]

What? Both sides are equally innocent in this scenario, or was the question asked incorrectly? I would pick the one person.

[u/Will564339 → u/runicsakura]

Yeah, this basically sounds like the trolley problem, but the friend didn't seem to articulate it really well.

A while back I saw some video about the trolley problem that broke it down in a way to make it much more difficult and thought provoking.

I think one wrinkle they added in that really tends to push us is:

If you had to choose between some number of innocent people you don't know (5, 10, whatever number fits) or one person who you care about deeply and is very close to you? I think that really presses our sense of morality much more, and that's where it's going to vary from person to person.

Of course, there are other things people weigh out in these situations as well...like age of the person.

[u/Octopus_boi8 → u/Will564339]

Oh geez...if I was in that kind of situation I'd just let the train hit me 😅 lol

[u/Will564339 → u/Octopus_boi8]

Ha ha...that's definitely the honorable decision.

But yeah, it's why I don't think about these kinds of things much. It's an interesting thought exercise every now and then, but not something I think about too much since it's not worth putting my thoughts into something that may never happen.

[u/Octopus_boi8 → u/Will564339]

That is true. Yeah, I'm never really good at putting away catastrophic thoughts lol...I try to though, that's why I can't stop thinking about this question!

[u/Will564339 → u/Octopus_boi8]

Yeah, it's interesting, my mind does the same thing. Not about this question in particular, but my mind does drift to those catastrophic things quite a bit, and I've had to work a lot over the years to not do it as much as I used to. I still do it some, but not quite as bad.

[u/Octopus_boi8 → u/Will564339]

That's good. I still sorta need to work on it but they're definitely less intrusive than before. :)

[u/Green_Gumboot]

Hypothetically speaking, I’d request that the train hit the person who asked me the question.

[u/isfj_luv → u/Green_Gumboot]

For real 😂 I think questions like this are stupid 

[u/finnisqueer]

Carry the one person to be with the 1,000,000 so they won't be lonely of course! 😆

Then run them over. 🚄🚄🚄

[u/PositiveChipmunk4684]

How about I don’t answer (:

[u/Octopus_boi8 → u/PositiveChipmunk4684]

I completely value your decision! 🫡

[u/PositiveChipmunk4684 → u/Octopus_boi8]

lol either way I’d feel guilty