Is Hotdog A Sandwich?
July 4, 2021
“Is Hotdog a Sandwich?”
I did not know the answer to this question is such a big deal. Apparently, it is for many who are on both sides of the divide.
A few years back, social researchers did a small mind experiment using this question as a lever.
The research was quite simple. First, randomly selected respondents were asked this question. Then, whatever be their view, they were then asked to choose one of the two following options.
- The researchers would give $ 3 to everyone who agreed with the respondent’s view and $4 to anyone who disagreed.
- The researchers would give $2 to everyone who agreed with the respondents’ view and $ 1 to everyone who disagreed.
The results were very revealing.
More than two-thirds of the respondents felt so strongly about people agreeing with them that they were willing to sacrifice getting more for themselves to make sure those who disagreed got less. Approximately 71% of the respondents chose Option 2. They were happy for people on the same page getting $2 instead of $3 as long as those who disagreed with their view got lesser.
This research points to the irony of human tendency-many of us mistakenly assume that those agreeing with us are our allies, and those who disagree are our opponents.
When I asked myself how I would have responded to this question, my intellect tried to convince me that I would have selected option 1, but my first instinct was to go for option 2.
What choice would you pick?
