OnlineBookClub.org

This is clearly a psychological test. Choose to save the planet by pushing the big, red button.

Is it real? What happens if you don´t press the button? Is it the matrix style and you wake up from the artificial reality?

If you haven´t already read the book and know what happens, give me your opinions! Is it a test? What happens if he doesn´t push it?

Hmmm. It's a good question, but most people would get to it after reading the book. However, ignoring the book and looking at the question as an arbitrary one I'd push the red button. There is no downside. If I can save the planet by pushing the red button then I do it. Even if I don't like the planet and I wish to die, pushing the red button just takes everybody including me with it. I'm not that vindictive. I could just commit suicide to get out. And as long as the planet is around it has a chance to get better - even if it gets worse first. Finally, if someone lied to me and the red button destroyed the planet rather than save it, I am not guilty of anything but being lied to. As for not pushing it... I have no reaosn to believe that would do anything but destroy the world. Why should I think I would wake up from some artificial reality when my entire life has been in this reality? What would make me ever think it is artificial? So, in the end. I push the red button.

ramblinggnomes wrote:This is clearly a psychological test. Choose to save the planet by pushing the big, red button.

Is it real? What happens if you don´t press the button? Is it the matrix style and you wake up from the artificial reality?

If you haven´t already read the book and know what happens, give me your opinions! Is it a test? What happens if he doesn´t push it?

I would definitely push the red button. No matter how bad my own situation, I would want this world to go on spinning on its axis! I think in the end Henry would have pushed the red button and saved the planet even considering all he had been through. Especially with Diego in his life as an influence to change.

First of all I'll say that since I'm not in Henry's position I can't say for sure what I would do. I would hope that I would push the big red button for even the small chance of saving Earth but I can't say for sure.

Yeah I dunno what I would do either. An interesting conundrum and not one I would look forward to.

It would take a while for the impact to fully weigh on my conscious, but I'd click the red button

If it were me, I'd hope I would press the big red button if pressing it had even a sliver of a chance of saving the earth.

At least it was a choice of only one button. Not, "Should I cut the blue wire, green wire, or yellow wire." Only one button solves the problem we would have if Henry was colorblind.

And why red anyway? Red means stop; green means go; so why wasn't it a green button?

To answer the question, I would push the button. After that, the world goes on and we can react and try to tweak solutions to continuing problems. Not pushing the button leaves me with no further options. I like options.

I guess (since I haven't read the book yet) that I would want to know what kind of peril the world is in...mainly because I am nosy. I think that having understood that pressing the button is the only way to save 7 to 8 billion people I might do it. But I am also wary of people in the world and the one asking it of me may have a hidden agenda....In the end, even with those possiblites I am not sure there would be another choice but to press it. If I don't and something terrible happened, I wouldn't live with that guilt.


But now I need to read the darn book LOL!

I haven't read the book and I think I wouldn't press the button. I don't like the idea of my actions directly causing something that impacts lots of people, especially if I'm not sure what the button does (I definitely wouldn't trust anyone who told me a button could save the world!) If I knew absolutely for certain, I would press it for the greater good. I really want to read this book; I've heard such good things about it!

This is a difficult question as I would not like to think my actions, or inaction, would have a negative on anyone. If I really thought that pushing the red button would save the world, then I would push it.

I probably would press the big red button. Not every decision we make in life should be just based on how happy we are going to feel. Sometimes it would be nice to consider other people's happiness first.

This is a hard one. I have not read the book, but after seeing the way things are going these days its one I would have to sit back and think on. I would like to say I would hit the button to give earth another chance to fix itself. However, looking back throughout history its almost as if the human race hasn't fully learned from past mistakes. That isn't to say I want to take out an entire population because that would be difficult to place a final decision for. If I had to decide now, I don't think I would. I would rather try to save the world, and maybe get the human race to try and change their evil ways (not saying all of the human race is evil because there are some really decent people here), but at the same time I am one person I couldn't do it alone.

I would hit the red button if someone gives me an assurance that it would create a good effect. I don't want to end feeling guilt for an action impulsively done. If hitting the red button could save the Earth and make it exist longer, then I wouldn't think twice in doing the simple act.

If there's a chance I could save the Earth by pushing the red button, then I'd push it. But then again, what is the blue button for? And what happens if I don't save the Earth? This is not a situation where I would not be able to think clearly or make a rational decision. It would be a tough decision.