If you’ve ever studied ethics or philosophy—or watched “The Good Place”—you’re undoubtedly familiar with “the trolley problem”. If you haven’t and you’re not, here’s a brief rundown.
Essentially, the trolley problem is a thought experiment in which you’re on a trolley with no breaks, headed toward a group of people on the tracks. You can flip a switch to divert the trolley to another track, but one person stands on that track and is sure to be killed if you flip the switch. Do you allow the trolley to continue on its course, hitting multiple people, or make the conscious decision to hit the one person?
Additional scenarios are often added to the dilemma, such as, “What if the one person were one of your loved ones?” or “What if the group of people were all elderly and the one person was a child?” It’s a morbid exercise, but it does lead to some fascinating ethical discussions.
What it doesn’t usually lead to is a hilarious joke—at least not a tasteful one—but here we are, with an adorable Irish kiddo named Jacob totally nailing one.
Donna, Jacob’s mom, has been sharing videos of her conversations with the precocious young lad on TikTok, to millions of people’s delight. When you watch Jacob tell his joke, you’ll see why. From the setup to the punchline to his infectious giggle at his own cleverness, it’s just perfection. (It’s also quite a feat for his age, considering you have to get the wording just right in order for the joke to land in the first place.)
Watch:
@keepupwithjacob I’m going to hell 😅😂😂😳 #fyp #foryou #fypシ #jokes
No wonder Jacob’s mom calls him “My funny little old soul.” People are absolutely loving how he delivered the joke.
“He tells jokes out of left field like my 76-year-old father. I love it,” wrote one commenter.
“He is brilliant,” wrote another. “I said the old man, too. Now I’m going to my room for a timeout.”
“I know the joke, but I fell for it. He’s so cute I couldn’t give the right answer,” shared another.
It seriously doesn’t get more adorable than this. Enjoy more of Jacob’s sweet smarts on TikTok @keepupwithjacob.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/irish-kid-jacob-tells-trolley-problem-joke