In an ethics class I attended quite some time ago, the professor posed a very real test of character that he said we ought to think about.

“There’s an old man in China (or Madagascar; no matter)and you can earn $1 million by pressing this button and killing him, quickly, quietly, and painlessly. He probably will die in 2 to 5 years anyway, and you will never know who he is, nor he you, nor will any other person on the planet know that it was you who pressed this button.

“What is your decision? – I have the check right here.”

Of course, he didn’t ask us to answer the question, just to ponder it over night and and we would talk about that decision’s impact tomorrow.

I was naive then; couldn’t imagine that anyone actually would. I know much better just whom would press it today.