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I read she was forced to change her shirt in front of people, or miss the flight.

What kind of shit ass person doesn't give up their seat for a veteran. Especially if you are sitting in the seat they paid for.

That being said, I could see the vet refusing to remove the other passenger and taking the downgrade as well.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 22, 2024 7:52 pm I could see the vet refusing to remove the other passenger and taking the downgrade as well.

It's almost like vets have volunteered to sacrifice for others before...

I feel like my outlook of, "Most of humanity is absolute garbage" is based on actual observation and experience.

GORDON wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2024 10:10 am I feel like my outlook of, "Most of humanity is absolute garbage" is based on actual observation and experience.

I still, somehow, believe in most people defaulting to good. It's just that it's so insanely easy to fall rather than climb.

It's really, really easy to do the wrong thing for the quick satisfaction. It's easy to take shortcuts, cheat, put oneself first, and so on.

It's really fucking hard to be noble, sacrifice, put the work in, etc.

Life and circumstance make the former even easier and more appealing.

I feel like most people are good. But you always hear about the people who are shit. And, sometimes people are mostly good, but the one bad thing they do sticks with you.

I think most people want to be seen as good.

I think most people, when given the opportunity to do something shitty with no witnesses, do so.

Then they have the thing and people still think they are good.

I remember reading about a study many years back where they placed a large rubber snake in a road in the middle of nowhere and then recorded drivers' reactions. I wish I could remember how the snake was placed, but I think I remember the lowest number was the people who went out of their way to run it over. However, it was still larger than you would like.

Found it!

3% and also included turtles. Seriously, fuck these people.

Also, I do want to say that I understand there's a scale to bad behavior. Trying to talk a kid into murdering their parents and sibling and intentionally killing something are different from sleeping with your celebrity crush one time with no consequences (isn't that how the "test" goes?) or letting someone who quit keep their laptop because you know the company has no use for it and you've already removed all the software and access from it (just did that for someone).

I think about 50% of humanity would murder you for the chance to miss a single mortgage/rent payment, if you were a stranger, and if they knew they could do so without getting caught.

GORDON wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2024 4:09 pm I think about 50% of humanity would murder you for the chance to miss a single mortgage/rent payment, if you were a stranger, and if they knew they could do so without getting caught.

I doubt that. I mean, I know I wouldn't.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2024 5:04 pm

GORDON wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2024 4:09 pm I think about 50% of humanity would murder you for the chance to miss a single mortgage/rent payment, if you were a stranger, and if they knew they could do so without getting caught.

I doubt that. I mean, I know I wouldn't.

Well you better look side-eye at your neighbor, then.

"People around you" isn't a good polling demographic. I mentioned "stranger" for a reason..... most people wouldn't need as much as a million bucks to push the button.

GORDON wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2024 5:09 pm most people wouldn't need as much as a million bucks to push the button.

I do not think so.

While there are people who would cut their own mother's throat to push the button multiple times, I think most people wouldn't.

Although, I think if we pitched this to Netflix, they'd buy it.

"The Button"

Unwitting people are confronted with a choice that delivers negative consequences to someone else, but rewards them. Will they push it? Watch with us through hidden cameras as we explore the age old question, "Are humans inherently good or evil?"

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 8:57 am "The Button"

Unwitting people are confronted with a choice that delivers negative consequences to someone else, but rewards them. Will they push it? Watch with us through hidden cameras as we explore the age old question, "Are humans inherently good or evil?"

It's tough, because you can't deliver real negative consequences. You can't harm/kill people. Worst you can probably do is 1) give them a mild shock, 2) make them eat something gross, or 3) penalize them $$-wise.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 9:13 am

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 8:57 am "The Button"

Unwitting people are confronted with a choice that delivers negative consequences to someone else, but rewards them. Will they push it? Watch with us through hidden cameras as we explore the age old question, "Are humans inherently good or evil?"

It's tough, because you can't deliver real negative consequences. You can't harm/kill people. Worst you can probably do is 1) give them a mild shock, 2) make them eat something gross, or 3) penalize them $$-wise.

You don't have to actually hurt anyone. You just have to make the person with the button think it will be hurting someone.

We could also just make it a scripted show like Squid Games, sell it to Netflix, and then get immediately hired to write a different show once Netflix cancels it after a season to save on production costs. (I know this is way off topic, but why does anyone watch shit on Netflix? They're just going to cancel the show. Even if it's successful.)

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 9:34 am You just have to make the person with the button think it will be hurting someone.

But they'll know it's fake.

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 9:34 am (I know this is way off topic, but why does anyone watch shit on Netflix? They're just going to cancel the show. Even if it's successful.)

Srsly.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 10:17 am But they'll know it's fake.

You have to convince them it isn't fake. I think this would be a lot easier than you think. There are a LOT of really stupid people out there.

Thinking about this fantasy program, I did want to make an amendment to my statement about people defaulting to good. Survival must not be a factor.

What I mean is if someone is starving, has a gun to their head, a loved one's life depends on their decision, etc. then I do not think it would be fair to count their response to any scenario as good or bad.

If they feel like their survival is dependant on being able to miss a car payment, they'll push the button. And you just admitted people are stupid. Stupid people are likely to come to that conclusion.

GORDON wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 11:30 am If they feel like their survival is dependant on being able to miss a car payment, they'll push the button. And you just admitted people are stupid. Stupid people are likely to come to that conclusion.

No, I'm not allowing that illogical line of thinking. Missing a car payment is not the same as sacrificing someone to literally save a loved one's life.

Also, stupid does not equal immoral.

You're not arguing with the premise at all, we're just quibbling at where the line is at. I think for a big number of people, a stranger's life is worth less than a car payment, and they don't have the morals to consider it beyond that.

You're saying the threshold for "when will this person push the button" is higher.

But we're both agreeing that people are garbage. Because if you push the button ever, you're garbage.

GORDON wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 12:46 pm But we're both agreeing that people are garbage.

For different reasons.

I think people are garbage because I hate them. I still generally believe that the default is "the right thing". The study I posted proves that point. So, we can argue opinions all day, but unless you have studies proving people are evil, we have to use the one I posted.

Now, where your argument will succeed is in circumstance. What is "the right thing"? Is abortion morally right? How about masturbation? Is killing in the name of your religion morally right? Is it morally acceptable to kill or steal for survival? How do people's intelligence, upbringing, social status, etc. affect their view of what's right and wrong?

You could make the argument that survival is the default, and born with ZERO influences, a person will act based on that. You might think that's a win for your argument because they'll push the button, but it's not because acting out of pure survival with zero influences isn't good or evil. They don't know. That highlights the weakness of my side too: Is civilization solely responsible for people being "good"?

Again, and like abortion, it's an impossible answer to find. We do not currently have the knowledge or capability to get that knowledge. So we have to lean on the evidence and that says 3% are cunts.