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Would you Die?

Would you sacrifice yourself? [Multiple Choice]

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Wake

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I have a few questions regarding life and sacrifice.


1. Would you sacrifice yourself to save a loved one?

2. Would you die for an innocent person?

3. Would you die to save any person?

4. Would you die to see any of these three escape harm?

Why?

*You can have multiple answers.
 
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I have a few questions regarding life and sacrifice.


1. Would you sacrifice yourself to save a loved one?

2. Would you die for an innocent person?

3. Would you die to save any person?

4. Would you die to see any of these three escape harm?

One and two.
 
Why not 3?

I ain't gonna die for just any person. There exist many individuals on this earth who aren't worth the excrement that they **** out in the morning. I ain't dyin' for just anyone.
 
Can't deal with hypotheticals. I would only know if faced with those circumstances.

A lot of people who say they would fight end up running; a lot of people who say they would run end up fighting. A lot of people who spend their lives thinking they're not afraid of death totally freak out when faced with it.

It's unpredictable.
 
Can't deal with hypotheticals. I would only know if faced with those circumstances.

A lot of people who say they would fight end up running; a lot of people who say they would run end up fighting. A lot of people who spend their lives thinking they're not afraid of death totally freak out when faced with it.

It's unpredictable.

very true.

It's kinda like asking "would you throw yourself on a grenade."
 
I ain't gonna die for just any person. There exist many individuals on this earth who aren't worth the excrement that they **** out in the morning. I ain't dyin' for just anyone.

But why? Aren't all lives precious?

Only certain lives matter to you?

What if by your perception you merely disliked the person? Would you allow him/her to die?

Furthermore, how could you die for the ones you selected? We humans are deceitful. We have numerous flaws, so why die for them?
 
I have a few questions regarding life and sacrifice.


1. Would you sacrifice yourself to save a loved one?

2. Would you die for an innocent person?

3. Would you die to save any person?

4. Would you die to see any of these three escape harm?

Why?

*You can have multiple answers.



Yes to all. It was a decision I made long ago when I decided to go into law enforcement, and the fact that I am no longer in LE for family reasons doesn't change my basic viewpoint. Yes, I am willing to risk death for a loved one, an innocent, or in some cases a stranger. I would risk death to protect a loved one from rape or other severe harm.
 
But why? Aren't all lives precious?

No.

Only certain lives matter to you?

Yes.

What if by your perception you merely disliked the person? Would you allow him/her to die?

Not necessarily.

Furthermore, how could you die for the ones you selected? We humans are deceitful. We have numerous flaws, so why die for them?

The feelings of guilt that would torment you otherwise.
 
Can't deal with hypotheticals. I would only know if faced with those circumstances.

A lot of people who say they would fight end up running; a lot of people who say they would run end up fighting. A lot of people who spend their lives thinking they're not afraid of death totally freak out when faced with it.

It's unpredictable.

Indeed.

I meant to add this option, yet was too late.
 
Yes to all. It was a decision I made long ago when I decided to go into law enforcement, and the fact that I am no longer in LE for family reasons doesn't change my basic viewpoint. Yes, I am willing to risk death for a loved one, an innocent, or in some cases a stranger. I would risk death to protect a loved one from rape or other severe harm.

I think it's natural that law enforcement, and perhaps military personnel would answer this question a bit differently from others. For instance, I personally wouldn't commit to #3. But I think that when a police officer does such a thing, he or she may not be doing it purely for the sake of that person. It may also involve an idealistic, altruistic, and/or emotional attachment to the badge and what it stands for (to Protect and Serve), and allegiance to the rule of law.
 
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Yes to all. It was a decision I made long ago when I decided to go into law enforcement, and the fact that I am no longer in LE for family reasons doesn't change my basic viewpoint. Yes, I am willing to risk death for a loved one, an innocent, or in some cases a stranger. I would risk death to protect a loved one from rape or other severe harm.


But... would you die for any person?

Would you only die to protect the loved one form death or rape?

No.



Yes.



Not necessarily.



The feelings of guilt that would torment you otherwise.

Why do you judge who deserves to live?




__________



To add to this:

Instead of letting the person die from your inaction, what if instead you shot the person you decided not to die for?

Complicates matters, it seems.
 
But... would you die for any person?

Would you only die to protect the loved one form death or rape?



Why do you judge who deserves to live?




__________



To add to this:

Instead of letting the person die from your inaction, what if instead you shot the person you decided not to die for?

Complicates matters, it seems.

I don't. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't sacrifice myself for just any other human being. There are plenty of people that exist on this earth that are not worth the sacrifice. For instance I wouldn't lift a finger to save a rapist.
 
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But... would you die for any person?

Would you only die to protect the loved one form death or rape?

ANY person? Not necessarily. Back when I was a cop, I would act to protect any person who appeared to be innocent of immediate wrongdoing, including putting my one and only self between them and the threat of death, knowing little or nothing about them. Been there, done that.
Now, I'm not LE... I would still be inclined to risk my life to protect a stranger if that stranger appeared to be innocent of immediate wrongdoing and desperately in need of protection.
OTOH would I risk my life for a known scumbag? No.

Also there's some diff between "risk my life" and "knowingly accept certain death"... maybe you should define your question a bit more narrowly?




Why do you judge who deserves to live?

If I'm exchanging my life for theirs, yes I get to decide for the obvious reason that it is MY life on the line.
 
Instead of letting the person die from your inaction, what if instead you shot the person you decided not to die for?

Complicates matters, it seems.

You'd need to expand on why this is my only viable option before I could answer.
 
Instead of letting the person die from your inaction, what if instead you shot the person you decided not to die for?

Complicates matters, it seems.

I'm probing philosophical depths. It makes me wonder just why and how a person would die for others. To pinpoint certain recurring reasons and question them as well.

@Goshin: I suppose I was merely curious to see the person's reasonings if a sharper blade were added to the mix.

What would I do? I'm not so sure.
 
At any time my answer may be yes and at anytime my answer maybe no for the various questions. Way to hypothetical for me.
 
I would die wantingly and happily to protect the person i love because i believe the value of the life of the person i love is far greater than my own.

I would die happily because it is honorable to protect the vulnerable and innocent, i was thinking of a battlefield and me being a soldier in this case.
 
I'm probing philosophical depths. It makes me wonder just why and how a person would die for others. To pinpoint certain recurring reasons and question them as well.

I believe it is principles that people die for; the identity of the other is of little matter, provided they fit the principle. Generally, it is the defense of others (however misguided or even insane a particular rationale may be). Altruism can be cast aside, as it is an instinctual and self-rewarding act to provide for the common defense (given ability).
 
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But why? Aren't all lives precious?

Only certain lives matter to you?

What if by your perception you merely disliked the person? Would you allow him/her to die?

Furthermore, how could you die for the ones you selected? We humans are deceitful. We have numerous flaws, so why die for them?

I've TOLD people not to drown if I'm the only one around to save you.

Which is HARSH coming from me because I'm a dive into the freezing water to buy those people down there time type. I tend to move between the danger and the endangered, if that makes sense.

So me:

1 and 2 and sometimes 3.

And from the Buddhist perspective, would I die to end suffering in the world. Yes, if I was sure it would really happen.:2wave:
 
Yes to all. It was a decision I made long ago when I decided to go into law enforcement, and the fact that I am no longer in LE for family reasons doesn't change my basic viewpoint. Yes, I am willing to risk death for a loved one, an innocent, or in some cases a stranger. I would risk death to protect a loved one from rape or other severe harm.

nicely put.

I would definitely risk my life for a stranger. Put it on the line.

Sacrificing I reserve for loved ones. Or EVERYBODY in the theoretical case I mentioned.
 
I have a few questions regarding life and sacrifice.


1. Would you sacrifice yourself to save a loved one?

Yes, more specifically my kids.

2. Would you die for an innocent person?

I would do everything in my power to help someone else if I could, but I can't simply lay down my life for others while I have kids of my own to live for, so no.

3. Would you die to save any person?

No.

4. Would you die to see any of these three escape harm?

In this instance, the same answers basically apply. I would die to prevent my children from being raped or physically harmed. There are a few friends I would risk my life for, but just anyone-probably not.

Why?

*You can have multiple answers.

As I said, if I died for a stranger, I couldn't be there for my kids. Priorities are what's important here. Who is more important to you, Wake? Me or your family? I'm betting you likely wouldn't die for me, but for a close family member-that's a different story. Take the scenario below, but instead of a stranger on the railroad tracks, imagine a family member..your child. Would you pull that lever to save a bunch of strangers?

Harvard psychologist Joshua Greene does brain scans of people as they ponder the so-called trolley problem. Suppose a trolley is rolling down the track toward five people who will die unless you pull a lever that diverts it onto another track--where, unfortunately, lies one person who will die instead. An easy call, most people say: minimizing the loss of life--a "utilitarian" goal, as philosophers put it--is the right thing to do.

But suppose the only way to save the five people is to push someone else onto the track--a bystander whose body will bring the trolley to a halt before it hits the others. It's still a one-for-five swap, and you still initiate the action that dooms the one--but now you are more directly implicated; most people say it would be wrong to do this deal. Why? According to Greene's brain scans, the second scenario--the "up close and personal" intervention, he calls it--more thoroughly excites parts of the brain linked to emotion than does the lever-pulling scenario. Apparently the intuitive aversion to giving someone a lethal push is stronger than the aversion to a lethal lever pull.

Read more: Essay: The Brain: How We Make Life-and-Death Decisions - TIME

For me, a lot of lives, perhaps even billions, would need to be at stake before I killed my own child. Is that selfish?

How about scenarios where people are hiding from soldiers who would kill them, and a woman's baby starts crying. Should she smother it to save herself and the others?
 
Yes, more specifically my kids.



I would do everything in my power to help someone else if I could, but I can't simply lay down my life for others while I have kids of my own to live for, so no.



No.



In this instance, the same answers basically apply. I would die to prevent my children from being raped or physically harmed. There are a few friends I would risk my life for, but just anyone-probably not.



As I said, if I died for a stranger, I couldn't be there for my kids. Priorities are what's important here. Who is more important to you, Wake? Me or your family? I'm betting you likely wouldn't die for me, but for a close family member-that's a different story. Take the scenario below, but instead of a stranger on the railroad tracks, imagine a family member..your child. Would you pull that lever to save a bunch of strangers?



For me, a lot of lives, perhaps even billions, would need to be at stake before I killed my own child. Is that selfish?

How about scenarios where people are hiding from soldiers who would kill them, and a woman's baby starts crying. Should she smother it to save herself and the others?

Good post with brain candy. In regards to the baby/soldier scenario... that was from "The Sound of Music"? Or "Gone with the Wind"?

I digress. There's much to wonder about the worth of a life and who discerns the worth.
 
Good post with brain candy. In regards to the baby/soldier scenario... that was from "The Sound of Music"? Or "Gone with the Wind"?

I digress. There's much to wonder about the worth of a life and who discerns the worth.

Quigley Down Under.
 
I have a few questions regarding life and sacrifice.


1. Would you sacrifice yourself to save a loved one?

2. Would you die for an innocent person?

3. Would you die to save any person?

4. Would you die to see any of these three escape harm?

Why?

*You can have multiple answers.

I couldn't possibly know what I would do in any other those situations without being in them first. So, I hope I never have an answer for your poll.
 
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