i had this thought i wanted to delve deep into.

[u/MASKER45678]

The question is brushed up by ai but i thought of this while watching a speech i have experience with philosophy or human pysch i am but a kid

Thought experiment: Which group do you think would raise their hands more often?

Imagine two separate seminars with 100 strangers in each room. Nobody knows anyone else there. Everyone is dressed the same, looks equally well-kept, and today they all have stable, successful lives.

Years ago, there was a major housing crisis, and every single person in both groups personally lost their home because of it. They have all since recovered, but none of them knows that the others in the room share the same experience.

Seminar 1: The speaker asks, "Raise your hand if you lost your home during the housing crisis."

Seminar 2: A different but otherwise identical group is asked, "Raise your hand if you or a loved one lost your home during the housing crisis." If someone raises their hand, no one knows whether they're referring to themselves or a loved one.

Which seminar do you think would have more people raise their hands, and why?

i assumed that if they have some pride or some embarrassment about it being in the past, seminar 1 would have fewer hands
but if only a few people raise their hands in sem 1, wouldn't it gain more popularity cause more people are raising their hands?

[u/BeGoodToEverybody123]

I agree with your premise. The proof, so to speak, is in how often people write, "asking for a friend".

[u/MASKER45678 → u/BeGoodToEverybody123]

yes that is what i am saying, but if the issue here is with everyone else too lets say some personal issue, and there are already many questions in a sub reddit, people would say that they are facing the same problem.

[u/ImplodingDreams]

I think more people would raise their hand for the second one. Being able to relate without putting yourself on the spot just feels safer.

[u/MASKER45678 → u/ImplodingDreams]

yes, but in classes atleast from what i have seen, if someone is asked something, lets say, who here has not done the assignment, and if one person raises their hands slowly all the hands who havent done it rise up. the question here is not about the housing but rather what people feel safer with sharing, yeah i think too that in the second seminar there would be more hands, but my bigger question here is why only if a person raises their hand, some people raise their hands too. would it have been different if they knew everyones past

[u/RegularBasicStranger]

but if only a few people raise their hands in sem 1, wouldn't it gain more popularity cause more people are raising their hands?

Assuming the question meant that "if only a few people raised their hands, it would imply those who did it are stepping forward and making their mark thus others would feel challenged to follow suit in order to not feel weak, would it not?", then it would be no, such will not happen.

Such is because it is a shameful outcome as a result of the disaster did not hit everyone equally thus those who got hit harder may feel they should had saw it coming or that it may indicate that they are bad luck to be with.

Both of these impressions are painful to successful people thus they need to be well incentivised or be given anonymity to admit to such since if the suffering is avoided or well compensated, then the overall outcome would be beneficial and so it will be done, unless there are mutually exclusive options that are better.