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ragingloli's avatar

Would you like to answer this question about plugging into the Matrix?

Asked by ragingloli (51956points) January 25th, 2022

Say it was revealed to you tomorrow, that the world we live in, here, right now, is a computer simulation. It is all you have ever known.
Would you choose to leave the simulation and enter the real world,
IF:
a. You are not told anything about the real world, or your position in it.
b. In the real world, you are an inmate with a life sentence in a high security prison.
c. In the real world, you are a multi millionaire, living in one of the richest countries.

How much does something being “real” actually matter to you?

Stolen from Kyle Hill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVp4HThifkM

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

13 Answers

rebbel's avatar

I would opt to stay put in the Sims!
I’m happy where I am at.

flutherother's avatar

a) No
b) Definitely no
c) Maybe, but how do I know that anything said to me is true?

KNOWITALL's avatar

I’d take my chances and unplug. The ugly truth is always better than a pretty lie, for me.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

Depends on if I can plug back in or not. At some point what we call reality will just be where all the machinery and life support functions are kept. Much like the service level of a building. We’ll live life virtually. We’ll be happier, live longer, more sustainably and we will choose it.

elbanditoroso's avatar

This sounds no different than the various theological – philosophical discussions about whether God (if it exists) really has given people free will, or if we are characters in some ontological thought experiment that god is messing with.

The bottom line response to your question, @ragingloli , is that either way it doesn’t matter.

Zaku's avatar

This strikes me as one of those questions where the author thinks their question means something thematic, but I don’t think it means what they think it means, and to answer the question, I’d need to think about and specify it more than the author seems to have, or to want to.

For example, I agree with @Blackwater_Park that it’s crucial to know how free one might be to go back and forth, and with @flutherother that the premise has me questioning what I can believe, including the question.

If I let go of that and turn down my IQ to about 79 and answer at the low level I imagine the question was intended, I’d say:

a.) I’ll stick with my current world, and hope I can choose to opt out if/when this world/life becomes much less bearable.

b.) This requires more IQ. I would try to question the source of information, and ask more about my sentence and so on. But if I can’t do that, I guess I’ll stay here.

c.) Too hard for me to dumb down enough to just give an answer. I’d want to know more, as above. The details really matter. WTH is the other world like? Who made the choice for me to be in this state? Can I go back and forth? I’d be more tempted to see what this other world is like.

jca2's avatar

I’d stick with what I have here and now. It’s not so bad here and now. I’m not rich but I’m not poor either, and I’m not suffering. Perhaps if my life was a life of suffering I’d like to take my chances on something different.

SnipSnip's avatar

No, thanks.

mazingerz88's avatar

A. Yes, but only when I am about to die here in this matrix where it now makes sense why a douchebag and a former reality TV show host became US President.

B. Nope. Just let me die here, in this fake world.

C. Unplug me!

kritiper's avatar

I’ll take C. Finally having enough money would be a real treat!

Inspired_2write's avatar

“Say it was revealed to you tomorrow, that the world we live in, here, right now, is a computer simulation”.

The real world is the one were living in because if it was a simulation we would NOT be told that we were living in a simulation as its a dream world existence.

I would live in the present world which is knowable verses unknown and full of variables good and bad.
( and it very well could be worse).

raum's avatar

I’d stay plugged. I’d rather stay with my family, real or not.

Also, Option C is not at all attractive to me. I think having excess wealth or being a celebrity kind of kills any chance of living a normal life. :/

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Sounds like the same customer base of those who play Steam games like World of Warcraft.

I was a video game addict from my first Nintendo and Atari. Now I only watch games on YouTube.

I could be tempted to stay in the Matrix for only for so long before I desired reality.

I would love the concept of instant unlimited learning.

I played D&D online and realized that I had a problem when I made $250 on in game purchases of useless crap, in one month.

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