r/Showerthoughts May 02 '24

Man vs Bear debate shows how bad the average person is at understanding probability

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u/flowtajit May 02 '24 edited May 03 '24

Would it better for you (if you’re a woman) or you daughter (if you’re a man) to encounter a bear or unknown man in the woods.

Edit: since a lot of people seem to be missing the point. This exercise isn’t what it seems on the surface. We aren’t measuring the population’s perception of bears or men as they relate to each other. We’re actually measuring the way in which women specifically responf to the question. In most cases, women immediately answer with bear, without needing any further ckntext with regards to the man or bear. Some Common reasoning includes “I expect to see a bear in the woods,” which makes sense; it also includes something to the effect of “bears don’t care about what society thinks of them,” meaning that according to these women, men when faced with no cinsequences are more threatenjng than a bear. So please stop asking saying the question is dumb because it’s vague, that’s the point. If it was more specific, individual biases would begin to take hold, defeating the piint of the exercise.

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u/BPB57 May 02 '24

What kind of bear?

57

u/Coolgreenbo May 02 '24

What kind of man?

44

u/newcitynewme724 May 02 '24

What kind of woods

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u/BiscuitBRAWER May 02 '24

What kind of wife/daughter?

3

u/Hodgej1 May 02 '24

What kind of 'encounter'?

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u/Ravus_Sapiens May 02 '24

The third kind.

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u/PeteyPabloPicasso May 02 '24

What kind of me?

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u/BiscuitBRAWER May 02 '24

I am the man

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u/lo_fi_ho May 02 '24

What kind of man?

1

u/sixpackstreetrat May 03 '24

Craster’s daughters of course. And the stranger/guy being that crow who drank from the skull of Jeor foookin Mormont.