#trolly problem

What is the value of a human life? Is the suffering of one person acceptable if it means a life of peace for the rest of the world?

Evbo originally tried to get out of his first 1v1 by claiming that he has a wife and kids, which implies these family units DO exist in some way.

While the people we see that are eager for “The Chosen One” to appear so they can gain everlasting life are all fighters, not everyone who lives in this world is on their own. There are likely mothers, fathers, children, natural leaders, amazing people that are clinging onto life by only a few swings of the sword. It’s not just violent fighters, it’s likely normal people trying to simply get by day to day life.

Is it selfish of them to want to be there for their families, friends, etc.? To fear death? Is it selfish of Evbo to try to escape his fate of being essentially a pig for the slaughter forever?

Is world peace worth the suffering of a single person?

If one person has to suffer for an eternity to bring peace to his civilization, someone with no friends, no family, no ties to the world, is that okay?

Is it okay to torture someone in any circumstance?

I don’t have any clue whether this kind of thought was intentional, but this is SUCH a vivid and interesting moral dilemma. It’s the trolly problem made physical. Of course everyone wants to say that it’s never okay to facilitate the suffering of another individual, but in a world where your continued death spreads life and allows families and friends to remain together for the entire natural lives, would you even be able to continue saying that? Or would you be willing to accept that this is the price, and an innocent person has to pay it.

Would you partake? Observe? Fight back?

It’s SO FASCINATING and I am IN LOVE

And it’s once again presented in such a simple and easily understandable format that it is available for everyone to consider.

if you haven’t heard of it, congrats on not being chronically online. Here’s the jist of it

there are two buttons, a red one and a blue one. if more than 50% of people chose the blue button, then EVERYONE lives regardless of which button they chose; there’s no penalty.

if more than 50% of people chose the red button, then the people who chose the red button survive, and the people who chose the blue button die.

Hiccup would pick blue without hesitation. He has complete trust that the majority will pick blue

Fishlegs would pick blue, but only after a solid 15 minutes lamenting about how it’s OBVIOUSLY the wrong choice and how he’s going to die

Camicazi would almost pick red, but remembers Hiccup and Fishlegs would press blue, and then she presses blue too

Snotlout would think a long time about the question, eventually picking red, but he would feel really bad about it after

Alvin would spam press red

Excellinor would press red, and then lie about pressing blue if blue won

Stormfly and Fireworm would both press red and call anyone who pressed blue stupid. The only difference is that Stormfly would feel just a little guilty after it’s revealed that most of the rest of the gang picked blue

Furious would pick blue, while fully expecting red to win

Stoick could pick either, but doesn’t really take the time to process the complexity of the decision. Whatever he chooses, he thinks the choice is easy.

I have a feeling that a younger Valhalarama might actually pick red, but post book 10 her is definitely picking blue

Old Wrinkly, Wodensfang, and Windwalker would all pick blue, choosing to hope in the overall kindness of humanity, while simultaneously quietly accepting their deaths if they are wrong

Toothless pushes a random button before the instructions are read; he does not have good impulse control

Bruce: *looks at his phone*

Bruce: goddammit…

Bruce: Stephanie, there’s something I have to attend to. Go ahead and start the meeting, I’ll be back in a minute.

Steph: What? Me? I don’t know how to start a meeting, I’m just supposed to take notes!

Bruce: I don’t have time for this, just do an icebreaker question or something, you’ll be fine.

Steph: An icebreaker? Like what? What do I say?

Bruce: It doesn’t matter, just get them to talk for a bit. I’ll be right back, don’t keep the board members waiting.

Steph: wait-

Bruce: *exits*

Steph: …

Board members: …

Steph: Hi, uh…

I also get that Grace would see that there were still five days (yes, I know that’s a stupidly short period of time, but desperation) and a list of volunteers and be like, uh, nope. Not me. Figure something else out.

I know I typically assume the best in people, fictional or otherwise, and it is easy for my hyper-empathy to skew my judgement. But, like, it’s easy to see a lot of my traits (not very social, works with kids, no romantic relationship) reflected in Grace. And all the things Stratt lists as things she “knows” about Grace as signs of his cowardice are…

Okay, look. We already know she was wrong about the teaching thing. After the events of the book, he wouldn’t have had to work another day in his life if he didn’t want to. He knew more human science than literally anyone else on the planet because, duh. He could’ve had an academic career. But what did he do? He decided to go back to teaching.

The avoidance of a romantic relationship could be a fear of heartache, or it could just be that it wasn’t something he was interested in. He talks about one relationship after college, and refers to it as a “disaster.” He doesn’t really understand why the astronauts are getting together, and he was of the belief that there wouldn’t be romantic/sexual jealousy on the mission because the astronauts would be professionals whereas Stratt was of the opinion that biological urge presented too big of a risk. He thought people were bananas for thinking he and Stratt were together. And, I hate that this is even a thing that pings my queerdar because it should really be the norm, his only civilian friend mentioned by name on Earth is a woman he has expressed zero sexual or romantic interest in. They met every Thursday for drinks. Beyond that, some people just have low social needs, especially if they have different neurology. And he says himself that he doesn’t have much of a social life.

The emotional blackmail Stratt pulls is cruel.

Sure, Grace doesn’t want to sign his life away. But what happens next on Earth isn’t exactly going to be a cakewalk. The next 30 years are going to suck. But he could stay and teach—not because it’s where he’s most needed, but because it makes him happy—and continue to spend time with the friends he has.

He’s not an academic. He’s a schoolteacher. He doesn’t have a partner. He’s still happy. He still has a life he wants to live.

Do I think he should have gotten on the ship anyway? Hell yes. Can I honestly blame him for wanting it to be somebody else? Can I even blame him for lying to himself (which, yeah, I think he was) that that was a feasible option instead of just a slim possibility barely worth trying? Not really.

I don’t blame Statt for putting Grace on the Hail Mary, even against his will. I blame her for castigating him beforehand, and I blame her for not at least trying to find another solution, as pointless as it may have seemed because as long as we’re running on slim chances… And even while I think what she said was uncalled for, I’m not entirely unsympathetic. Both scientists dead less than a week out and your secret third refusing to cooperate? The situation sucks, so she lashes out because that’s what people do sometimes under colossal pressure. She’s not made of stone.

The Grace v. Stratt conflict doesn’t have to be binary. It doesn’t have to be that one is right and one is wrong.

I, too, hate ambiguity. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my literal decades of therapy, it’s that there’s no getting rid of the fact that shit’s complicated.