₦airaland Forum

Imagine this hypothetical situation:

"You can press a button to cure every child in the world of cancer forever, or you can have $100 million tax-free. No one will know what you chose, you can't profit from curing the children, and you have 60 seconds to decide."

At first, when I saw the question on Reddit, I chuckled. I mean, this is easy. I'm picking the $100M no questions asked. Until i started reading the comment sections and the question started itching my brain.

Sixty seconds to choose.

One side of that big red button: kids—bald heads, sad eyes, the kind of scenes they use in those ads that make you immediately change the channel. The other side: $100 million. Tax-free.

60 seconds? Who came up with this timer? Some cosmic Gulder Ultimate Search host with a twisted sense of humor? "Let's watch this mumu sweat it out for a minute while the fate of countless kids hangs in the balance!"

But seriously, $100 million. That's "Bleep Tinubu and his economics" money. That's " I could finally afford to run for political office" money. That's "I could donate some to charity and still be balling" money. No, wait, can't do that. Anonymous choice. Shey you understand?

Speaking of anonymous, why does that matter? Is this some kind of test? Is the real moral choice whether I will do the right thing even if no one knows? Is this what our elders mean when they say "character is what you do when no one is watching"? Man, I knew I should've paid more attention during those long sermons at church.

But curing all childhood cancer forever?

That's huge. That's world-changing. That's "probably should win a Nobel Prize if anyone knew I did it" big.

How many lives would that save? How many families would that spare from heartbreak? How many future world-changers would get to grow up and maybe cure other diseases or solve Nigeria's problems or invent teleportation or something.

Then again, with $100M, I could fund research. I could start a foundation. I could... who am I kidding? I'd probably buy a private jet and name it "Cancer”. Mind you, that’s about my zodiac sign.

Oya now, time dey go. Make you decide.

What kind of person am I if I choose the money? What kind of person am I if I don't? Can I live with myself either way? Will I wake up in a cold sweat 20 years from now, haunted by this choice? Or will I be too comfortable in my air-conditioned mansion to care?

Maybe I should throw a coin. No, that's stupid. You can't leave this up to chance. This isn't some "tinini-tanana" situation. This is life and death. This is "change the world" versus "change my world."

10 seconds left. Ewo! Ewo! Ewo!

Okay, deep breath. What would future me want past me to have done? What would I want my pikins to do? (If I ever have pikins, which I probably can't afford without that ₦46 billion, but that's beside the point.)

5 seconds.

Here goes nothing. Or everything.

Button pressed

Well, that's that. No guilt, no regrets. Just sweet, sweet financial freedom. Sorry, kids with cancer. I hope someone else gets this offer and chooses differently. But me? I'm about to be living the life I have only seen in Ola of Lagos videos.

First thing tomorrow, I'm sending a giant statue of a middle finger to my boss. Then I'm buying the whole place and turning it into a car wash or just burn it down.

Maybe I'll donate to some cancer charities. You know, after I've bought two or three estates in Banana Island, my fleet of cars (no cybertruck please), my private jet, and my football club. A man's got to have priorities, after all.

Is it selfish? Absolutely.

I know what you're thinking, how can you be so selfish? It's children. It's cancer.

But, let’s not deceive ourselves...

Suffering is everywhere. Even in this moment, as I write this , somebody's grandmother somewhere in Ijebu-Ode is praying fervently, while another guy somewhere in Port Harcourt is down to his last N500 with no idea how to eat tonight.

This world has suffering packed like sardines. I could cure these kids, sure, but there is more where that came from. Life, ehn, it's never-ending.

Sorry, not sorry. Because as much as I'd love to save the world, I can't do it with an empty stomach or by borrowing data from MTN every two days.



Lalasticlala
nlfpmod
mynd44
Dominique

Your view is quite realistic, as there is actually more from where that came.
Unless and only if choosing it wipes out cancer in its entirety.

Cancer is a scourge that is beginning to rise.
About to become the new malaria.
Really fvcking rampant.

Let’s try as much as we can to avoid unhealthy foods and lifestyles.

But, let’s not deceive ourselves...

Suffering is everywhere. Even in this moment, as I write this , somebody's grandmother somewhere in Ijebu-Ode is praying fervently, while another guy somewhere in Port Harcourt is down to his last N500 with no idea how to eat tonight.

This world has suffering packed like sardines. I could cure these kids, sure, but there is more where that came from. Life, ehn, it's never-ending.

I know you are being realistic and think $100million is serious money, yes it's , but it is not worth a life ,they are people whose company is worth $1 Trillion and yet they still need oxygen like all of us .. The infinite intelligence don't give a damn about your money but how much impact you can make to humanity..Save the Children, Tinubunomic is only temporary, perhaps a great Reset.

Where do i need to sign ? Take 50% and give me d rest

Babangidapikin:
I know you are being realistic and think $100million is serious money, yes it's , but it is not worth a life ,they are people whose company is worth $1 Trillion and yet they still need oxygen like all of us .. The infinite intelligence don't give a damn about your money but how much impact you can make to humanity..Save the Children, Tinubunomic is only temporary, perhaps a great Reset.

You can save the kids. I will take the money every time actually.

ItisWell22:
Your view is quite realistic, as there is actually more from where that came.
Unless and only if choosing it wipes out cancer in its entirety.

Cancer is a scourge that is beginning to rise.
About to become the new malaria.
Really fvcking rampant.

Let’s try as much as we can to avoid unhealthy foods and lifestyles.

Are you saving those kids or taking the life-changing money?

Ringstonermask:
Where do i need to sign ? Take 50% and give me d rest

That's the spirit. I was shocked to see people saying they would save some kids.

Even Jesus Christ sacrificed everything for us. I prefer to leave a lasting impact and heal all cancer patients.

Scientists can discover cure to cancer tomorrow but chances of me getting that $100m by tomorrow is slim. Women abort children all the time and no one bat an eye, I can at least abandon them with no one batting an eye too.

Nonexisting:
Scientists can discover cure to cancer tomorrow but chances of me getting that $100m by tomorrow is slim. Women abort children all the time and no one bat an eye, I can at least abandon them with no one batting an eye too.

This guy gets it.