Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - How much do you value your life versus others

smallstar · 11-20-2006, 04:50 PM

This is a thought experiment. Please read carefully before answering.

You are alone on the bank of the river, there is no-one nearby. Suddenly, you hear a cry of help, and see a girl about 5 years old in the middle of the river. The current in the river is strong. In order to rescue the girl, you know you need to jump to the river, and if you do that you know that you risk death.

Let us simplify the situation by assuming a few things:
* You know that the probability of outside help arriving is 0. If you decide not to help the girl, the probability for her death is 1.
* You know that if you jump in the river to save the girl, the probability of both of you to die is P, and the probability of both of you to survive is 1-P. No other outcome is possible.
* You know the exact value of P, and are able to make a conscious decision without rushing it.

The question is: What is the maximum value of P with which you would still jump to the river to try to save the girl?

11-20-2006, 04:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
smallstar Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 146	How much do you value your life versus others This is a thought experiment. Please read carefully before answering. You are alone on the bank of the river, there is no-one nearby. Suddenly, you hear a cry of help, and see a girl about 5 years old in the middle of the river. The current in the river is strong. In order to rescue the girl, you know you need to jump to the river, and if you do that you know that you risk death. Let us simplify the situation by assuming a few things: * You know that the probability of outside help arriving is 0. If you decide not to help the girl, the probability for her death is 1. * You know that if you jump in the river to save the girl, the probability of both of you to die is P, and the probability of both of you to survive is 1-P. No other outcome is possible. * You know the exact value of P, and are able to make a conscious decision without rushing it. The question is: What is the maximum value of P with which you would still jump to the river to try to save the girl?