Hypothetically if..

[cafe]

It would please me to give him money.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

^ you'd be one of those people who'd drop a $20 on the ground and if he returned it you'd let him keep it and if he didn't you'd call the cops, aren't you?

HAHA, no, but I'll start doing that now. :je -- ahh, too predictable.

 

[Night]

You had infinite money and walked past a seemingly pure-hearted homeless man who asked you for money and whether you give him money or not the energy you wasted in that time is exactly equal, what would be the logical thing to do?

Btw you never see the man again in your life.

What I'm trying to do is create a situation where logic cannot be used. Something else must be relied upon to make the decision.

Sure, why not? Everyone deserves a second chance.

Why do we presume that he'll "screw up" just because he's homeless?

 

[BlueFlame]

^ you'd be one of those people who'd drop a $20 on the ground and if he returned it you'd let him keep it and if he didn't you'd call the cops, aren't you?

I have officially added doing that to my bucket list, just for my own amusement.

 

[Salomé]

I hate hypotheticals so no, he gets nothing from me.

 

[Jaguar]

I give homeless people money even if I'm broke! Standing around out in the cold sucks, they might as well get my spare change for doing so and adding texture to my city

if I had an infinite amount of money I'd give MORE than the spare change... why should I have all the luck?

I'm with you on this. :hi:

 

[miss fortune]

HAHA, no, but I'll start doing that now. :je -- ahh, too predictable.

I have officially added doing that to my bucket list, just for my own amusement.

... wait... I'M the evil mastermind?

I'm with you on this. :hi:

 

[teslashock]

You had a infinite money and walked past a seemingly pure-hearted homeless man who asked you for money and whether you give him money or not the energy you wasted in that time is exactly equal, what would be the logical thing to do?

Btw you never see the man again in your life.

What I'm trying to do is create a situation where logic cannot be used. Something else must be relied upon to make the decision.

This situation is one of ethics.

You can't come up with a universally "logical" thing to do in a situation where ethics is called upon, as the universe has no consistent definition of what's ethical and what's unethical.

However, you can come up with your own personal system of ethics that will help you decide whether or not you should help the homeless man and use this ethical system to decide what is "logical" and what is "illogical". If helping him is contradictory to your own ethical code, then you may find it personally "illogical" to help him. If helping him adheres to your own ethical code, then you may find it "logical" to help him. Likewise, if not helping him contradicts or adheres to your own ethical code, then you may find it logical or illogical to help him (respectively).

There's no answer to this question that is inherently true/false or right/wrong, and the answers you get will be largely dependent upon the responder's own basis for morality. The other thing that must be "used" here is ethics. These situations are not too uncommon either. Humanistic issues can rarely rely on logic.

 

[simulatedworld]

the universe has no consistent definition of what's ethical and what's unethical.

It does if you're into that Fi thing.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

... wait... I'M the evil mastermind?

I think "mastermind" is pushing it...

 

[Moiety]

I'd give him some money. No logical reason to do so though.

It does if you're into that Fi thing.

You still dunno what the hell Fi is about.

 

[simulatedworld]

You still dunno what the hell Fi is about.

I'll teach you about sarcasm if you teach me about Fi. Deal?

 

[Moiety]

I'll teach you about sarcasm if you teach me about Fi. Deal?

Will this grant me the power to never mean what I say unless I do? Sign me up.

 

[BlueFlame]

... wait... I'M the evil mastermind?

I'd prefer to call you my *muse.*
I had a fantasy of me being a modern-day Buddha, walking through the dirty streets of downtown, testing hobos...blessing the honest ones with cash and teaching the dishonest ones a firm, but loving, lesson.
Then when all the hobos-gone-bad had been sufficiently frightened by being put into the back of police cars, I would drop all charges and they all would gather around me and I'd preach a sermon about honesty and loving your fellow man.

/fantasy

Obviously, I know nothing about Buddha.

 

[miss fortune]

OMG that sounds very much like my sister's ambitions... and she's an ENFJ

 

[Lady_X]

absolutely...wouldn't think twice about it. if i had infinite money i'd enjoy randomly surprising people with it...ridiculously large tips n such yep. would be fun.

 

[Thalassa]

I'd totally do it of course. I bought homeless people tacos when I didn't have anything near infinite money, so surely I'd be handing it out if I had no worries.

In fact, if I had "infinite money" I'd probably devote a part of my life to helping other people since I wouldn't have to work or anything.

 

[foolish heart]

You had a infinite money and walked past a seemingly pure-hearted homeless man who asked you for money and whether you give him money or not the energy you wasted in that time is exactly equal, what would be the logical thing to do?

Btw you never see the man again in your life.

What I'm trying to do is create a situation where logic cannot be used. Something else must be relied upon to make the decision.

There is an awful lot of rationale still at play, such as giving him money to decrease the probability of being mugged in the slight chance he is not as he appears (which appears selfless but is more selfish) or not giving him money because giving away money from an infinite cashflow would cause inflation with widespread effects that outweigh the small amount of good (appears selfish but is more selfless). legitimate or not, these are just examples... you get my point.

a strictly mathematical thinking structure can consider subjective/emotional factors, as well as be applied as a tool to serve a subjective/emotional intention. when you consider that the former can also consider the latter, you'll see that there simply is no such thing as true logic in a human context, merely the grand circle which human cause and effect falls into. and since you have not provided an intended outcome in your scenario, there is no right or wrong decision.

 

[SillySapienne]

Sorry. Side note. Can we try to be a little more descriptive with our thread titles? hypothetically if doesn't really capture the essence of this thread. Good titles encourage other good titles and create an atmosphere of creativity and whimsicality that elevates all of us.

Love,
CC

 

[heart]

Sure, why not? Everyone deserves a second chance.

Why do we presume that he'll "screw up" just because he's homeless?

Why do we asume he's homeless to begin with because he screwed up?