Political Crossfire Forums

evilWombat · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 23 Location: Indiana

I voted no, for one simple reason.

I judge my life to be more valuable than the average person's. This is horribly arrogant, but in many respects true. Here are some reasons:
-At 16 years old, I have, on average, more years to live
-I am without any chronic disease that would make my life more difficult
-I am without any acute illness that would terminate my life prematurely
-Society has years of education tied up in me and I will be able to return on that investment if I survive
-I like to think that I'm smarter than average (but hey, don't we all?)

JRM4833 · Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 22488 Location: Red Sox Dugout

Protostar wrote: Grandmaster1 wrote: I think of selfishness as having lots of money, and not helping someone who is in need, or having an abundance of anything, and not letting anyone else have any.I don't have an abundance of life...I have just this one.

That's an awesome way of putting it. I'm going to use that anytime JRM goes on one of his honor trips.

And I will be more than ready to shoot down this silly defense of cowardice. Nothing personal, but this attitude among some of the younger crowd today is disturbing.

I've never said much on actually giving your life for someone. The issue I've discussed is taking the risk, without any guarantee of death. The fact is that you don't know ahead of time if you're giving your life for someone. If I had a choice between watching someone die and doing what I could to save them even though it puts me in more danger than I would be otherwise, I'll take the latter every time. I couldn't look myself in the mirror knowing that I sat around and let another human being die.

JRM4833 · Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 22488 Location: Red Sox Dugout

Otacon wrote: Doesn't matter who it is, they die and I live. I'm more important than they are.

Based on this post, you should probably change your title.

wildchild · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 300 Location: alberta

I voted i would , but i do not think so,
i 'm not strong enaught for this , but
i wish to be , very much.
I'm just a bug

lovebush · Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 1147

The_Wannabe wrote: Another problem with the situation, you wouldn't know before going in if your death was certain or not.

Yes I agree, I would risk my life for a stranger, and I would like to think I would be willing to die for a stranger, But my death would leave my wife and daughters without me to support them. so if death was some how certain , I dont think I would. I do agree that if it was a woman or child that needed rescuing , that would be a factor.

Destroyer · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Arklay Mountains

If a complete stranger and you didn't know who it is at all (and didn't know anything about them, male, female, young, old...) then definitely no.

But If you know the person, most likely yes, unless it's someone apathetic and a degenerate who doesn't contribute to society, then no. Family definitely yes.

Numb · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 273

No matter who.

Unless I caused the fire :wink:

Deigo99 · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 106 Location: Plano, Texas

I would find it difficult to believe that anyone can actually determine what they would do in such a situation. But i voted yes. Alot of the views I've seen are humanistic, but i am a devout christian, i know that i have lived as well as i could have hoped to so, I would probably go in to save the person accepting the will of the Father, whether he chooses to take me then, or allow me to live to continue in his service. So i guess my reasons for going in would be rather selfish; the hope of dieing to be free of the suffering so rampant on the earth. Its been a long day so if that doesnt make any sense i can try again tomorow.

ieatfood · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 6332

Protostar wrote: That's an easy one. Let them die no matter who it is. My life is of supreme importance and noone is worth dying for.

hell yea!

good90 · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 94 Location: Hoosier Country

demosthenes8907 wrote: What would you do? Please post a reply as to why if you decide to vote.
A life is more valuable when sacraficed.

good90 · Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 94 Location: Hoosier Country

evilWombat wrote: I voted no, for one simple reason.

I judge my life to be more valuable than the average person's. This is horribly arrogant, but in many respects true. Here are some reasons:
-At 16 years old, I have, on average, more years to live
-I am without any chronic disease that would make my life more difficult
-I am without any acute illness that would terminate my life prematurely
-Society has years of education tied up in me and I will be able to return on that investment if I survive
-I like to think that I'm smarter than average (but hey, don't we all?)
I most sincerely apologize for my rashness, but what society has really invested in you is to make someone out of yourself. Giving your life for someone else is making someone out of yourself. YOUR EXUSES FOR YOUR SELFISHNESS ARE DETESTIBLE TO ME :bang: ! I've made up my mind before it has even happened, AND YOU WANT TO BE A COWARD AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE WORK FOR YOU :1evil: !? All and all what your saying is that you would not save the person for anything, and YOU would let someone like ME go in there and die not only for the person in the stupid building, but also for you because you don't have the parts to do it.
How about this some one is trapped in a building,
evilWombat wrote:
-At 16 years old, they have, on average, more years to live
-They are without any chronic disease that would make their life more difficult
-They are without any acute illness that would terminate their life prematurely
-Society has years of education tied up in them and they will be able to return on that investment if they survive
-they like to think that they're smarter than average (but hey, don't we all?)
I'll tell you I'll save that person. I am refering to you. So your are saying that you are more valuable than ME? :arhhg:
I pitty you. %*

Skiazo · Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:19 pm Post subject:

Due to the question, which clearly states that you WILL die if you save this person, I would choose to not help.

You can argue that in real life you will not know if you will meet certain death, and while this is true, you are also unsure of many other factors:

Will this person meet certain death if you do not help?
Why doesn't this person attempt to escape themselves? (this would be pertinent to me if they simply were too scared to attempt to escape)
Will the Fire department, who has equipment designed to increase the chances of survival, arive in time to save their life?
Are you guarnteed to save their life just because you attempt to?

In real life, I would attempt to size up the situation and determine the likelyhood of success, and if there was a decent shot of me and this person surviving I would make an attempt, even if in this attempt I ended up perishing.

Geronimo · Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 73 Location: Boogeyland

I have been in that situation more than once, and I always choose the other person in front of my own. Once it was someone I even hated. I guess I have alot of angels watching my back, because those times I always made it out alive.
The history of the earth has a lot of warriors, or just normal people that believe in Hubris, or pride. It can also mean that to die with honor, or to save another,there is no nobler act. Of course there is a better life after this one, so why not help the person. It is the honorable thing to do.