Poll: Who would you rather let die, your pet or me?

[jawakiller]

Fuck animals (and yes, I do love my dog). My dog is just a stupid, witless creature. You are probably more valuable than a dog. Now please understand I love my dog but the fact that you posted this thread means you have some inkling of intelligence (unlike those are-you-straight-or-homosexual threads). I would sooner kill my dog with a close-range weapon (not a gun) than have someone kill you. I'm serious.

 

[alithanar8]

as my absolute favorite female video game character once said "As much as you love your dog, it isn't human" I have to agree with Gunny Ashley Williams.

 

[tokae]

Or are you insinuating that human life is inherently worth more than animal life, irrespective of any other factors?

Human life is absolutely more inherently important. Humans are self-aware and capable of higher thought, while 99.9% of other animals are not. It is the same reason you would squash a spider without a second thought, but would hesitate to kill an orangutan.

This does not mean I advocate the abuse of animals or ravaging the environment, but when it is a matter of life or death, there is not a single species of animal I would save over a random human's life.

Yes, the vast majority of humans are self aware and capable of higher thought, and your point is? Through which logical thought process have you come to the conclusion that simply being self aware and capable of higher thought makes a living creature more worthy of life than another?

(Not insinuating anything, just commenting on THIS part of THIS post, and nothing else!)
Giant OT but: I've always pictured that that's kind-of how Hitler got started..

 

[funguy2121]

This is a serious question. I want to know whether you would rather save the life of your pet animal or me in an emergency.

I am a complete stranger and you know nothing about me, therefore I could be a disliked loner or beloved by family or friends, a dumbass or a prodigy, a criminal or a volunteer with children and the elderly. You can't know.


EDIT:

These poll results are hardly surprising; a similar question was posed by another user on a forum I frequent and most people were more than happy to let that OP die, even kill and torture him, over their dog or cat. There is a serious lack of empathy in the modern world.

Even as a pet owner myself (I have a cat), I feel that people who put the lives of animals they own over other human beings are SELFISH. Selfish because their pets love them unconditionally and provide companionship, and they don't want to give this source of happiness up, while many people don't get along well with other humans. However, I personally could never live with the guilt knowing that I let another human being with family, friends, a significant other, a job where they provide value to others, hopes, and dreams die for an animal that is barely self-aware and mainly exists to make me happy and entertain me.

It would pain me to do so, but I would kill my cat myself so that any one of you may live.

EDIT 2:

Yes, the poll question was poorly worded when compared to the content of the OP, sorry.

OP gonna die! I think you're reading way too much into this. I mean, you're asking strangers you'll never meet if they would kill their beloved pet or you - and theoretically, you could be a "bot." You may not even be human!

 

[Agayek]

I would most certainly save my dog over any random stranger. I don't even have to think about it.

 

[Cheesus333]

I really would have to know a lot more about you to make this decision or you would lose hands down. It's nothing personal but you're up against two kittens - the quintessential image of purity and innocence, whereas you and I are homo sapiens: we kill and destroy for the sake of making our own lives better or easier.

If I knew you it would be a different story, but to me you're just a human being among many. Good thing this is just hypothetical then, because I'd kill myself afterwards either way.

 

[Comrade_Beric]

So, what you're trying to say is that personal attachment trumps human rights? Do you not find it at all disturbing that the majority of people around here would rather save their favorite cat than you? I certainly do.

Not at all. It's perfectly rational for people to care more about things that they care about then they do about things that they don't care about. I'm sure that you would save a close friend or a family member over me, isn't that an example of your personal attachment trumping my human rights? If neither of us have a problem with that then why should there be a problem with one of us substituting a different creature to which we hold an emotional attachment?

The difference between choosing an animal over a human being and choosing a family member of a stranger is that in the second decision, you're choosing a human either way. The only deciding factor you have to go on is your personal attachment. It's is trumping nothing, it's simply a tie breaker. Choosing to save one's pet over another human being isn't just siding with personal attachment, it's deciding that your personal attachment is more important than another human's rights, or to put that differently, it's deciding that another person's personal attachment to their furry life-addition trumps your human rights.

 

[Jodah]

Again, lot of cat people on the Escapist. Interesting fact.

Thats because cats know nerds control the world, thus making their plan for world domination easier.

 

[brodie21]

This is a serious question. I want to know whether you would rather save the life of your pet animal or me in an emergency.

I am a complete stranger and you know nothing about me, therefore I could be a disliked loner or beloved by family or friends, a dumbass or a prodigy, a criminal or a volunteer with children and the elderly. You can't know.


EDIT:

These poll results are hardly surprising; a similar question was posed by another user on a forum I frequent and most people were more than happy to let that OP die, even kill and torture him, over their dog or cat. There is a serious lack of empathy in the modern world.

Even as a pet owner myself (I have a cat), I feel that people who put the lives of animals they own over other human beings are SELFISH. Selfish because their pets love them unconditionally and provide companionship, and they don't want to give this source of happiness up, while many people don't get along well with other humans. However, I personally could never live with the guilt knowing that I let another human being with family, friends, a significant other, a job where they provide value to others, hopes, and dreams die for an animal that is barely self-aware and mainly exists to make me happy and entertain me.

It would pain me to do so, but I would kill my cat myself so that any one of you may live.

EDIT 2:

Yes, the poll question was poorly worded when compared to the content of the OP, sorry.

the reason that most people would choose their pet over you is that they have an emotional attachment to the pet to the point where it is a family member. meanwhile their only interaction with you is reading a mass of text placed in a forum. this may not be true when placed in an actual scenario, but is there really going to ever be a scenario where someone has to make that choice? why not save both? im sure your cat could fit in a backpack or be carried while you drag the victim to safety.

 

[wammnebu]

save you,your an idividual, worth more than any animal

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I don't know you, but even if I did, there's about a 90% chance I would like my dog much better than you anyways. Even then, I wouldn't know if you make the cut of that 10% unless I had known you for an extended period of time.

I'd keep my dog alive for a few more years, hands down.

 

[Javelk]

Sorry dude, I like my cat.

 

[ThatDaveDude1]

The difference between choosing an animal over a human being and choosing a family member of a stranger is that in the second decision, you're choosing a human either way. The only deciding factor you have to go on is your personal attachment. It's is trumping nothing, it's simply a tie breaker. Choosing to save one's pet over another human being isn't just siding with personal attachment, it's deciding that your personal attachment is more important than another human's rights, or to put that differently, it's deciding that another person's personal attachment to their furry life-addition trumps your human rights.

Do animals not have rights? Or are they just not as important as humans? I was under the impression that all sentient beings deserved equal amounts of respect.

 

[SFR]

I only have cats, so perhaps my opinion is a little bias, but I would definitely save you. Pretty much the ONLY people who I think even have the slightest bit of a point in saving their pet are those who own an extremely loyal, best friend kind of dog. People get attached to pets, just like they're family, but only dogs truly get attached back. Since I don't own such a dog, I would easily kill every single animal I have ever come across myself to save you (if that situation somehow arose). That's saying something, as I usually don't even kill bugs.

Any human being is an integral part of many lives. Family, friends, significant others. Letting any person die, for almost any reason, is unforgiving. This is especially true if you know nothing about the individual. This person could be a serial rapist, pedophile, murderer, cannibalistic dictator, but if you don't know, you have the moral obligation to save him. Would you save your pet over your own family? Now ask yourself, would you feel horrible if someone close to you in your family died due to the uncaring of another? Would you relate the incident to murder? What if you found out that your family member died because the other person "had" to save their hamster?

The fact people are willing to neglect another human out of such sheer selfishness shows how little we've come since civilization. It looks like we are the animals. Now who will save us?

 

[The Night Shade]

You because i love my pet

 

[Ghengis John]

I had a pet rock, but he was hit by a car one day when I was taking him for a walk. If he were still alive you'd be screwed, but he's not so... you're still screwed. The guilt would be outweighed by my hatred for people who consider humans superior to animals.

I refer you to my post, number 211. It will not be the cows or the fish that unravel the secrets of the universe or build ships to other planets. They (animals) have no concern for the future, the vast majority have no concept of self. They have no philosophy, no art, no science. Maybe you would save a rabbit over me, I'm not the worst person, I have people who love me and who'd miss me but I guess that doesn't outweigh Mr Hoppy's rich love for carrots and ability to poop pellets. Fortunately for you I'd say screw the rabbit.

Yes, I do feel my life, and that of almost every other human with very few exceptions, carries more importance than your dog/cat/hamster/iguana.

Uh-Huh. Which few exceptions are those? Let's just narrow this down shall we?

I'd say: "If you were a biochemist and your particular pet's physiology somehow contained the cure for AIDS, then yes, you could save your pet before you saved me or another human being and I'd understand." Otherwise, choosing to let a human die so you can keep a furry add-on to your life is beyond selfish, it's immoral.

Thankyou.

 

[sigma2]

It isn't surprising that most of the people would vote to have you die instead of their pets.

But you have to realize that the reason for that is that we love our pets. We know about them and we care about them, and we would rather save something that is familiar to us rather than something/someone completely unknown.

That being said, I can't really think of any circumstances where I would have to chose between someone and a dog. So in reality I would probably go with you!

 

[Way]

I feel that people who put the lives of animals they own over other human beings are SELFISH.... I personally could never live with the guilt knowing that I let another human being ... die

Your inability to deal with guilt is an entirely selfish motive. Your first thought being how their death would affect YOU. So even if you saved the person, your action has no moral worth.

If you replaced the pet with a human I loved, then it'd still be selfish to save them over you. If my motive is based on emotion, rather than on moral duty, then it has to be selfish. And the chance of such a stressful situation not elicting an emotional repsonse is nil.

As for humans having an inherent value, it depends on how you speculate on potential and how much you elevate that over current status. Every lump of coal is potentially a diamond, and yet people just burn them!