Poll: A strange hypothetical question

[geK0]

Ill give you an offer.

You will be given $1million dollars a year for the rest of your life, this reward will be disguised as lottery winnings and will not seem questionable to any friends or authorities.

BUT

After you are dead, you will take the blame for a series of murders and other atrocities that have absolutely nothing to do with this offer. All of your friends and family will be disgusted with you and your name will be recorded in history alongside names like Hitler, Jack the Ripper and Nicholas Cage. Your name will be forever tarnished.... but you'll be dead.

Do you accept this offer?

discussion value: Is your reputation after death worth more than any amount of compensation?

Edit: some points to make this more clear

- Your family will be offered protection from harm that might come to them due to your reputation
- These atrocities have already happened, taking the money will not cause people to be murdered
- Taking the money will however alleviate the actual perpetrator (probably the person making the offer) of any punishment or suspicion
- The atrocities are not specified to you, but you are aware that they are quite large in scale.
-For some unexplainable reason (magic?) you know that you are not being lied to and you can take or leave the offer without further consequence.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

I'd have to say no. Not because of what I'd feel after the fact. As an atheist, I don't believe in any existence after death so it wouldn't make any real difference what the world thought of me. However, I couldn't bare to hurt those close to me with that misinformation. It would destroy them. So in the interests of those I love, I'd say no.

 

[Caiphus]

*votes potato*

No, I wouldn't. Much for the same reason as Bathorys Graveland. Also because I wouldn't want to be the next Jimmy Saville, or whatever.

Plus the guy who actually did the murders might get away with them, and all that selfless bollocks.

 

[Phantom Kat]

I guess it depends on the atrocities.

To answer; "Is your reputation after death worth more than any amount of compensation?"

Nope, not really. I'd take the money. Why? Assuming there's no "x person gets away with it" nor "your reputation has a negative effect on someone else", then it's practically free money with a catch that would only affect my corpse.

 

[Asita]

Wouldn't matter much to me when it actually happens given that I'll be suffering from a major case of deadness, but all the same your legacy/reputation is the only thing about you that ultimately survives after death and I'm fairly self-conscious about that, silly as that may sound, and I'd just as soon save my family the embarrassment/revulsion. Besides, I'm a suspicious lout and I see that deal as a prime opportunity...for getting screwed over. Being told that I "will get a million dollars a year for the rest of your life but be remembered a villain afterwards" makes me think, and I quote "Uh-huh...If I accept this, I'm going to be dead within the year, aren't I?" I doubt that was an intended possibility with the question, but that's how my mind works when presented with faustian bargains.

 

[DementedSheep]

No, I wouldn't put my family through that and even though I don't believe in the afterlife the idea of being blamed for things I did not do doesn't sit well me be. Besides doesn't that mean they will stop looking for the people who actually did do said atrocities?

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Yeah, I would.

I don't care what people think of me after my death, and considering I don't plan on having children I probably won't have many people in my life who end up outliving me by a significant amount, so my fake misdeeds won't affect any loved ones I may have.

 

[geK0]

If I accept this, I'm going to be dead within the year, aren't I?" I doubt that was an intended possibility with the question, but that's how my mind works when presented with faustian bargains.

Actually I was wondering how long it would take for somebody to pick up on that,not that I'm trying to bribe somebody into being a scapegoat for my.....some guy's atrocities *cough*

Is it fine if I write you post-dated cheques rather than paying cash?

 

[Asita]

If I accept this, I'm going to be dead within the year, aren't I?" I doubt that was an intended possibility with the question, but that's how my mind works when presented with faustian bargains.

Actually I was wondering how long it would take for somebody to pick up on that,not that I'm trying to bribe somebody into being a scapegoat for my.....some guy's atrocities *cough*

Is it fine if I write you post-dated cheques rather than paying cash?

That does nothing to allay my suspicions! D:

Seriously, it can be cash, credit, debit or check, at the end of the day I'm still making a bad deal if the deal involves an early demise on my part.

 

[geK0]

If I accept this, I'm going to be dead within the year, aren't I?" I doubt that was an intended possibility with the question, but that's how my mind works when presented with faustian bargains.

Actually I was wondering how long it would take for somebody to pick up on that,not that I'm trying to bribe somebody into being a scapegoat for my.....some guy's atrocities *cough*

Is it fine if I write you post-dated cheques rather than paying cash?

That does nothing to allay my suspicions! D:

Seriously, it can be cash, credit, debit or check, at the end of the day I'm still making a bad deal if the deal involves an early demise on my part.

Don't worry, there will be no dying

Just sign the contract and I'll have one of my armed guards escort you out of the building. He'll show you to the "exit" in the sub-basement.

Spoiler: muahahahahaha

MUAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Padwolf]

That is a hard decision. On the one hand, money. I need money and lots of it. But on the other, if I get blamed for all that stuff after I've died, then sadly that will affect my remaining family and I wouldn't want to cause them that annoyance. But, if it were promised that it wouldn't affect them, then hell yes I would take the money.

 

[Liam Briggs]

In a heartbeat, firstly I am a rather greedy man so Ill do a lot for that much money and second having a legacy that will be remembered long past my theoretical grand children have died would be amazing in its own right. Admittedly I would feel guilty for making my family feel that shame but most of them will be dead by the time I kick the bucket.

 

[King of Asgaard]

I don't see any compelling reason not to.

As the youngest of the family, chances are there won't be any family I care about to survive me, so I won't be hurting anyone I care about. Not only that, but that million a year would allow me to experience a myriad things I wouldn't have without the financial stability, thus making my life better at no disadvantage to anyone. Infamy after I've passed is a small price to pay for a much more comfortable and enjoyable life.

 

[username sucks]

Of course. With sufficient money, I will be able to afford life-extending technology, and I might even live long enough where technology can effectively make people immortal. If the money from this isn't enough, I would invest, make myself famous, become a shareholder in a company that makes this kind of technology, ect. I could pull it off. I am a genius, after all.

If I never die, then the cons of this deal would never come into play. I win.

Okay, assuming that I couldn't become immortal (I'm still confident that I could extend my life somewhat), I would still take the money. I would spend it like crazy to get as much enjoyment out of life as possible. Not one dollar would be left unspent before I die. I really don't care if I'm made out as a monster, my philosophy is to enjoy life while I'm alive.

 

[Pandaman1911]

Shit yes, money. I'll buy life support stuff to live longer, I won't have any kids, because I'm gay, and after I'm dead (which will take a decent amount of time, mind you, thanks to the life support stuff) I'll donate whatever's left to charity, because I'm cool like that.

 

[tilmoph]

Ok, important question: the OP says I'll take the blame for a bunch of really messed up murders, like legendarily screwed up ways of killing people. So a. will these murders actually happen, or will it just be an extremely persistent urban legend that never dies? And b. will my accepting this deal, assuming the murders are actually happening, help the murderer hide from justice?

On the main point of discussion; I do not care about my post-mortem legacy. As it stands, I won't have one, so screw it. I would take the deal assuming I wasn't helping cover up actual murders. Reputation after death doesn't mean much to me; helping some super psycho commit their evil acts is something I'd much rather not do, regardless of cash offers.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Probably only for more money. As in enough more money to solve several world problems and essentially outdo the evil that would be assigned to me after death. For a million, no, mainly for two reasons already stated - the effect on my family and friends and the surety of the culprits getting away with it.