On Intent

Consider the following experiment:

There are two people, Adam and Steve. Adam is given $10 and told to divide the money between himself and Steve. Adam has to give each person a minimum of $1. After he finishes dividing, Steve can choose whether to accept or reject the division. If the Steve rejects, no one gets any money.

Let's say you're Steve, and Adam has partitioned the money so that he will get $9, and you will get $1. What would you do?

In psychology, "rational choice theory" (RCT) is a model of human behavior that says people do things to maximize their own benefit and minimize their own cost. According to RCT, the most rational way for Adam to act is to give himself $9 and Steve $1. This gives him the most benefit. The most rational way for Steve to act is to accept whatever offer Adam gives, because he gets money that way. There is absolutely no cost to these actions by Adam or Steve.

This experiment was actually done, and for the Steves who were offered $1, 30% of them rejected it. This is very interesting to me, because it shows that people are often not perfectly rational actors.

Let's say you had a one-time use button which, when you pressed it, would give you $1, and the experiment was to see whether you'd press that button. Of course you would! Now, let's say that when you press the button, you get $1, and a random stranger receives $9. Would you still press it? I'm going to venture "yes". It's free money.

The difference between the button and the experiment is intent. In the button example, no intent exists. The button is a lifeless thing, a means to an end. Press it and two people get money. But if the button is a person who willingly chose to only give himself more money than you, you are more inclined to hurt him back. Notice how the results of pressing the button and accepting the deal are exactly the same: two people get money. There is no cost. However, with intent added in, everything changes.

This is the same reason first degree murder is more severely punished than manslaughter (although, sidenote: To me, "manslaughter" always sounds way worse than "murder"): Intent. Even though the result is the same (the loss of a life), the intent changes everything.

Intend good things, and don't forget to appreciate the blueness of the sky.

-Me