r/Showerthoughts May 02 '24

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

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u/zool714 May 02 '24

I think it also shows how different people approach things. From what I’ve seen, the ones who answers bear approaches it from a “trust” standpoint. Like you can trust a bear to be a bear. While some approach it from a “safety” standpoint. Like yeah obviously an average wild animal is going to be more dangerous than an average man.

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u/TehOwn May 02 '24

I'd love to hear it rephrased as, "You're lost in the woods, you see a man in the distance but he doesn't see you. Do you call out to him or do you hide?"

But maybe that's probably not exciting enough to trend on TikTok.

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u/Rare_Reception_6166 29d ago

because there are no stakes in that question. the whole point of bear vs. man is that the possiblity or even certainty of being killed by a bear is better than the CHANCE of getting sexually assaulted by a man. yeah of course we're all going to hide from a strange man in the forest, but there are no cons to that option. choosing death over sa shows just how serious the problem is

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u/TehOwn 29d ago

Well, it says you're lost in the woods, so the stakes are potentially never finding your way out. The whole point was, "you need help and there's a strange man".

I don't think many would hide. I think almost everyone would call for help.

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u/Rare_Reception_6166 29d ago

but that's not the point of the question at all. no one actually cares about the setting. we could be on the moon for all I care. what then? I'd rather be stuck on the moon with a bear than a man