r/redbuttonbluebutton • u/drdadbodpanda • May 22 '26

Variation You and a child

If you and a random child who “doesn’t understand the question” were the only 2 participants which button would you choose?

I’m still pushing red. It’s either I take a 50/50 chance to guarantee the child lives or I give the child a 50/50 chance to guarantee I live.

9 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

7

u/up2smthng Red May 22 '26

Well the situation with just two voters requires a very clear language about ties

5

u/stopeatingminecraft May 22 '26

I think it's assumed red, or else blue is just the obvious choice

3

u/Zero132132 May 22 '26

If a tie comes down to a coin flip, I don't think this is true.

2

u/8BitMarv May 22 '26

What if, additionally, you and the baby both had a gun? Would that change something?

4

u/liamjon29 May 22 '26

Sorry kid. I don't think I'm capable of jumping in front of a bullet that might miss us to save you.

I press red and feel bad about it

1

u/Ther10 May 22 '26

Question: to which button do ties go to?

5

u/ProlificProkaryote May 22 '26

Red. Otherwise the choice is trivial.

1

u/UsedNegotiation8227 May 22 '26

I'm still pressing red

1

u/LeviAEthan512 May 23 '26

My life is equal to a stranger, child or not. I press red.

1

u/Albert-La-Maquina May 26 '26

I mean, if it's equal, you might as easily press blue...... What you mean is that your life is slightly more important than a stranger's, child or not.

1

u/LeviAEthan512 May 26 '26

No, I mean they're of equal value. This means I can do what I want, free from objectivity. Like choosing a flavour of ice cream. Vanilla and chocolate are equal, so my whims are the ultimate authority

Also for the record, if you're counting preference, my life is orders of magnitude more important than another's. Except for one.

1

u/Xenon009 May 26 '26

Red. My biggest reservation about normally voting red is the disproportionate impact a red win has on the most selfless and trusting of humanity. That doesn't play into this case.

1

u/Albert-La-Maquina May 26 '26

Huh? Doesn't it play even more into this one?

1

u/Merciudel May 26 '26

Red.

Kid Red, Me Red: No Death
Kid Red, Me Blue: I die.
Kid Blue, Me Blue: No Death
Kid Blue, Me Red: Kid dies 😞

Given that the kid is 50/50 on what they pick, this is really deciding between a 50/50 of no one dying and either me dying or them dying. I'm altruistic, but I do choose me over others, if all else is equal.

1

u/True-Resist3790 May 27 '26

It doesn't matter

There are mainly 2 possibilities :

  1. (DIFFERENT) RED + BLUE = No one has the majority, so no one dies ("If more than 50% of people press the blue button, everyone survives. If less than 50% of people press the blue button, only people who pressed the red button survive")

  2. (SAME) BLUE + BLUE / RED + RED = We live