A man with nothing to lose Vs. A man with everything to gain

[950Killer]

Assuming they have the same combat experience and around the same level in terms of skill, Which of the two has the will to win this fight? Who wins in a fight to death?

[Arsenal]

The one that gets rocked first is the one who probably loses.

[MichaelC]

I think the man with everything to gain would win a slight majority. A man with nothing to lose is partially going to be motivated by suicidal urges, by the desire for it to just be over.

The man with everything to gain is going to be hopeful, his morale is going to be high, and he is going to be calmly focused.

[Twickster]

The man with everything to gain is going to be hopeful, his morale is going to be high, and he is going to be calmly focused.

Or he could be anxious about his every move seeing as a single mistake can cost him everything. Psychologically, loss aversion is much more devastating than gaining anything, so the fear of losing all might affect their performance.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Gonna bet on the naked guy, he's already lost everything.

[Beadle]

Or he could be anxious about his every move seeing as a single mistake can cost him everything. Psychologically, loss aversion is much more devastating than gaining anything, so the fear of losing all might affect their performance.

This.

The guy with nothing to lose is, at worst, going to end up exactly where he already is. Anything more is a bonus. That means he has no need to worry, which brings clarity and focus.

The guy with everything to gain will be second-guessing himself all the time, meaning hesitation. And he who hesitates....

[Shai-Hulud]

George Carlin has a routine where he talks about growing up in a tough neighborhood. One of the things he says he learned to is to never get into a fight with someone who "doesn't give a fuck." Because, he says, "someone who doesn't give a fuck will always destroy someone who does." Not an exact quote, it's from memory, but I'll bet someone can find the exact YouTube clip.

[LordMikel]

I think the man with everything to gain would win a slight majority. A man with nothing to lose is partially going to be motivated by suicidal urges, by the desire for it to just be over.

The man with everything to gain is going to be hopeful, his morale is going to be high, and he is going to be calmly focused.

I agree with this assessment.

[Fallman]

I can't help but think that these are the same guy, in the same situation, just phrased differently.