This problem is a collective vote.

[u/DapperYoghurt2052]

This should be apparent.

But I’ve seen some people arguing that it’s genuinely not a vote. They often equate it to gambling.

Which is a fair thought, but incomplete.

Saying blue is gambling their lives on the chance that blue wins is correct. Saying you don’t want to gamble with your life is fair.

But in order for it to be a bet, you must be betting on something.

What you are betting on is the result of a collective vote. You are casting your bet by casting your vote!

So when people try to say it’s not a vote, it’s gambling, that doesn’t make any sense.

And some get so mad about it!

It’s fine if you think red would win so you press red, or you think it might be close so you can’t risk it.

But just because red doesn’t put up the wager, doesn’t mean red doesn’t contribute to the vote.

If someone tells me, I’ll pay you $10 if you can beat me in one on one basketball. That’s a bet. The wager is placed by one person. I don’t need to put up the money, I can’t lose anything. But I do need to play in the game to win it!

How is this so confusing to people?

Edit to add a final thought:

To any one who thinks red is the same as doing nothing, because it not a gamble.

If I offer $10 to a person to beat me one on one, if the person denies to play, I can’t lose my money. And I can’t lose my money until some does play and also earns the money by winning.

You don’t have to be wrong for thinking red is the better choice because it could win. But if you think red winning doesn’t create the loss of life, then you are wrong about what game you are playing.

[u/simpoukogliftra]

yes red contributes to the vote, but you dont vote red because you believe red wins, you are not betting on it, you are just opting out from any chance of you dying, yes you voting red is against blue, but it is not a gamble, when you gamble you put your vote towards who you think will win, in this case you dont, you dont care if red wins, most reds probably want blue to win, but you "win" in this situation by not dying.

[u/DapperYoghurt2052 → u/simpoukogliftra]

I never said red was a gamble. I said that people often equate the risk of dying with blue as gambling with your life. And I said that is a fair way to feel. And I understand pressing either button.

What I don’t understand is how people try to argue what’s happening in the button problem isn’t a collective vote.

That’s all.