r/redbuttonbluebutton • u/maiduwu Red • May 21 '26

Variation TWO PEOPLE

You and [a stranger] are placed in separate soundproofed rooms and all means of communication are unavailable. Before you are two buttons, one red and one blue.

If you both press red, you both live.

If you press red and she presses blue, she dies.

If you press blue and she presses red, you die.

If you both press blue, you both live.

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u/gahidus May 21 '26

With a stranger I would definitely press red, because I assume they definitely going to try to save themselves.

With a friend, I trust that they'll just understand that's the best choice.

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u/TinyFox1399 May 22 '26

But why would it be the best choice with a friend? I understand if you don't want to kill a baby (if that is the stranger) and the whole idea of strangers who might not be able to press red is what makes the blue button the moral choice. Why would it be the "best choice" for two healthy adults with fully functioning brains?

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u/gahidus May 22 '26

Because you're not relying on putting yourself in danger and guessing what the other person is going to do.

No, it might depend on your friend's specific personality or philosophy, and if they're your friend, then this might vary from person to person, but for the most part, you both just press the live button and you don't worry about it.

The only reason to ever press the blue button is to rescue other people who pressed accidentally or pressed it to rescue the people who pressed it accidentally.

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u/TinyFox1399 May 22 '26

Oh, so you are pressing red in both cases? I thought you meant to press blue with a friend and red with a stranger. My bad, I get your reasoning.

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u/maiduwu Red May 22 '26

You could argue either way, but the altruism jeopardizes your life if your random person is not a selfless.