The Submarine

A long time ago, in the last century, I attended a seminar of psychological practice, which was led by a psychologist with a simple Russian surname like Horkov. The seminar still exists, whoever wishes can easily whisper its name and the real name of the head, but here I will leave it under a pseudonym, not in the names matter.

We were there doing the same thing as in the current psychological training and personal growth training, but everything was still warm and lightweight. Group exercises on self-knowledge, diligence and improvement of self-esteem, some scenes and dialogues were played, a lot was argued, generally entertained. There were also exercises on physical diligence, such as the well-known “fall to trust” or embrace with everyone in the circle (hello Covid-epidemiologists). In one class, even required to take off the maximum number of items of clothing. Almost all the guys split up naked, most girls stayed in underwear, two or three decided to topless, and only one, quite full and ugly, took away everything that deserved the general enthusiasm and respect. The guys who missed this class, then bitten their elbows for a long time.

Most of the Khorkovs were from 17 to 25, and I was noticeably over 30, I got there only because after the death of my wife, whom I once met at similar classes, I tried to secondly enter the same river and use the seminar as a dating club. The plan failed, the second wife I found later elsewhere, but I do not regret the money and time spent, it was fun and interesting.

Quite quickly I learned that Horkov is not just entertaining young people and making money for bread with oil. He dismantled traditional morality in every way and raised a new man, not limited by morality and aimed only at achieving a goal. I am not a religious and not a Christian at all, the traditional morality did not hold on to me at all, and many seminary visitors really did not bother to unravel and look at themselves and the world from a different angle. But yet Horkov overwhelmed the rod, I often argued with him and even wrote a whole manifesto, it is included in one of Horkov's books by a separate chapter called "Anti-Horkov".

We go to the exercise "submarine", it was key and repeated in every Khorkovsky course. I don’t know if he invented it himself or borrowed it from someone else. Introduction: The group is in a sinking submarine. There is a rescue gateway, but it can release strictly one person once per minute, for this minute the boat will descend deeper, each next chance of safely sailing significantly less than the previous one. That is, the chance of survival depends only on the sequence of the exit and nothing else, the first will surely be saved, the last will surely die, in the middle as it will. The task of the group is to determine this sequence.

As soon as Horkov announced the conditions, several guys, who apparently already knew what the chip was about, rushed to the door, which played the role of a luck, and arranged a fight around it, until one, Kostya, was the first. Horkov told everyone to sit down and solve the problem verbally.

“Let’s let the women go first,” someone immediately proposed.
And why actually?
They are weak.
Not everything. Von Lena is clearly stronger than half the boys – and what, let him die? Let us throw the scratch.
– No, the draw is the escape from responsibility.
I am pregnant. If you save me, you will save two people at the price of one.
and what? I may be pregnant tomorrow. and double.
And if you save me, in the first year of my life, I promise, ten women will become pregnant.
All nine will have an abortion. I am the only one in a large family. My descendants will compensate humanity for the loss of all who die in this boat.
They will produce poverty. I am a businessman, I may have one child, but he will grow up in happiness and wealth.
It will be until you die from alcoholism. I will live up to 100 years with a healthy lifestyle. If I count in human years, it is more profitable to save me.
“And maybe I will invent a cure for cancer, this will be true plus in human years. We need to save the smart ones first.
Do we make a victory?

Further, according to Horkov’s plan, voting was intended with the issuance of labels “for life” and “for death”. Everyone was asked to formulate what his life was more valuable than others, and try to convince others. As a result, it turned out that the strongest and most stubborn survivors, such as the Bone comrades, were the first to rush to the door. But before moving on to this part of the lesson, Horkov asked if someone would like to determine the order of justice so that everyone would agree. And I realized that I seem to know the solution to this task.

I arranged them all in a random order and turned to the closest at the door:
You are lucky, you will be saved. But look back, how many wonderful people will die because they are less fortunate. You can save one of them by changing places with them. Do you want?

I was fortunate that the good-hearted shy Glory was the first. Everyone noticed that he was secretly in love with Marina, who was one of the last in the row. Glory did not fail and gave up his place to Marina. Marina immediately desired to hand him over to Egor, but I did not allow him to pass: you did not decide, but Glory.

The second was Anton, an eternal athlete, who in every conversation inserted his particular opinion. He stated that he is most worthy of all and will not give up the right to live to anyone. I left him alone. The third was the fat Ira, the one who split up on striptease classes. Here I expected an easy victory, knowing that she was indifferent to the beautiful Sasha. Ira really said, “Sasha,” but when Sanek moved from the place, she stopped him:
not you. The Sasha girl.

I have always forgotten about Sasha. The youngest of us, very complex, she was always sitting in the corner, silent, and on the striptease she didn’t even take off the cows. Come to the case before voting on Horkov, she would surely be “dead.” Even I was surprised:
Irene, why is she?
“She has not seen life yet,” answered Irma. Let him see.

I did not ask the fourth and the others, but addressed them all at once:
Do you understand what I am doing? I am sorry for you all. You are all wonderful talented people, and if not very beautiful, you are still people, and equally worthy of living. I cannot choose which of you to die, I have no such criterion. I don’t care who of you will be saved. But it doesn’t matter why. Kostia survived because he smashed everyone with his elbows and was the first to find himself in the hole. He will continue to live in the conviction that the main thing in life is to tear everyone apart, and will teach his children this. Anton survived because he was lucky and he was closer to the door. Now he will know that the most important thing in life is luck, to be closer to the feeder and not give it up. And Marina and Sasha will continue to live with gratitude to those who saved them, will tell about Slave and Ire to their children, and if necessary, they or their descendants will also sacrifice themselves for someone who is dear to them. Someone clever said, “Whatever you do, the amount of good in the world must increase,” and this criterion works.