Classic "would you push the button?" scenario

My initial reaction was no, definitely not. I'm already very happy and I don't have any money problems.

But then it occurred to me that you could use the money to save the lives of millions of people in third world countries etc. So maybe I would - I'm not sure

exactly what i thought.
im not pushing that button!

hahaha, I didn't even see that original post!

Nah it's not, I have to -well had to, finished Alevels now- wear suits to my 6th form =/...mind you I never really stuck to dress code.

You're a girl... she's a girl...

I like were this is going.

*looks at profile* "DAYMN!"

In the time it has taken for most people to respond to this post, numerous people that we have never heard of and will never have met in our lives have passed away. I can't imagine anyone here ever has, or would ever choose to consider those people.

With the introduction of "the button", we somehow manifest this cost.
This will come across crude, it's not meant to, it's simply laying it out: As we currently don't care for those that we don't know, why does the introduction of personal gain change this?

In the time it has taken for most people to respond to this post, numerous people that we have never heard of and will never have met in our lives have passed away. I can't imagine anyone here ever has, or would ever choose to consider those people.

With the introduction of "the button", we somehow manifest this cost.
This will come across crude, it's not meant to, it's simply laying it out: As we currently don't care for those that we don't know, why does the introduction of personal gain change this?

I'd rather pave my own way to success

Because there is a difference from death naturally and death from cold blooded murder.

I know the catch; I won't push the button.

Another good reason not to.
I pointed this out to my bf in our discussion and he said "but I would have taken the intiative and decided to make the difficult decision and face the consequences" and I just didn't know how to reply so called him a knob lol.

Fair enough. I think "The Button" exemplifies irrationality better than anything else that we do. Not that irrationality is wrong.

Numerous things we do are at the detriment and cost to others on the other side of the world. We consume x, y and z to make us 'happy', the production process of which results in pollutants harming a b & c on.

I know this all sounds very idealistic, etc etc etc, it's not meant to be. It's just that the button gives us a different sense of control.

We go about our lives as we currently do, consuming and disregarding. But because there is this perception of completely definable wrongdoing, when almost all of us currently contribute to what is ultimately a similar effect, our perception changes.

**** I hate Economics.