The Value of Certainty, Part 1
You’re on your way to the office when you pass by a tiny shop you’ve never noticed before. It happens to you quite a bit actually, though normally by the time you even consider going in, your inertia has already carried you too far past it for you to change course. This time it’s different; something about this place is calling out to you. You impulsively double back and walk through the door.
Inside is a figure sitting at a round table. His hands rest on its surface, palms facing upward as if he were about to make the universal gesture for “come in.” The way the place is lit, the only other part of him you can see is the lower half of his face. Suddenly you’re having second thoughts about your decision, but you sit down at the table anyway.
The figure tells you it’s your unlucky day — you have to make a choice between two options and neither are pleasant:
Option A
He casts a spell on you that, for the next three months, makes everything you eat taste like your least favorite food. Afterwards, things will return to normal. If you choose this option, you’ll have a week to prepare before the spell takes effect.
Option B
He does nothing. You go about your usual business, but you’ll have a somewhat increased chance of contracting severe food poisoning from everything you eat. If this happens, the only cure is to have him perform the same spell from Option A, except this time around, the spell lasts six months, possibly longer.
Which would you choose, and why? I’d love to hear your response in the comments. I’ll follow up in a few days with something less hypothetical.
Continued in Part 2
