Answer the Question Above You

I'm deontological insomuch as I think "the ends justify the means" is rarely - if ever - an objectively correct justification because of confirmation bias. I am all for utilitarianism (which is a teleological approach!) and generally conduct myself in a manner that minimises pain and/or maximises happiness, but making a rock-solid judgement call (at least for fuzzy real-life situations and not abstract numerical problems like trolley problems) is easier said than done!

Especially from my perspective of being a rather passive person, it seems like someone more likely to leap into action would have more confidence (read: bias) in their ability to actively read a situation and gauge outcomes? That might not so much be passivity as pessimism and a tendency to see where my input would cause net negative utility though.

On consideration, I couldn't bring myself to pull the lever. Talk about talking big and bailing out! I'd rather be culpable in the death of five through inaction than being actively murdering one.


Describe the weirdest animal you've ever found.