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

[PinkiePyro]

you I love my cat and I dont know you I mean you could be a rapist for all I know

 

[Kragg]

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, 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.

I see. So you feel your life is of obvious more importance than any other.

And you call others selfish. *tsk* *tsk*

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.

why? the death of a pet affects people too, it's not "oops my dog is gone oh well, carry on"

depending on who it is any standard house pet might actually make more people happy even inspire people than a random bum under a bridge.

random example: Dictator Evilanovich's cat dies, he randomly shoots 10 people in the face and drops and A-bomb on Randomcountristan VS random 3rd world person dies of x. what mattered more in the grand scheme of things?

things are not as black/white as you perceive them

 

[PoliceBox63]

My pet because I am the only affected party. I don't know you or your family/friends/associates and wouldn't like to inflict that pain on them.
With my pet it's just me that hurts ><

 

[Pontus Hashis]

Sorry bro, but if it was you or her, I'd kill you with my barehands if I had to!

 

[RabbidKuriboh]

hmmm a complete stranger that lashes out at people for loving their pets

or my dogs the only real family i have

sorry buddy your chances are not looking good hopefully someone without a pet'll come along

 

[SilentCom]

I would feel bitter and resentful but I'd let my pet die.

 

[Comrade_Beric]

snip

I'd save you and let my pets, all of them, die. No question. I love my pets, but when a natural disaster happens and the city is burning down, we evacuate the people hospitals, not the animal hospitals. Don't get me wrong, if I could save both I would, but I am never going to try to explain to myself, much less your family, why my dog or cat had more right to live than you or any fellow human being did.

 

[CarlMin]

I've met too many jerks that don't deserve the gum off the bottom of my shoe. You may be a fine upstanding citizen but I don't know that, you could just as easily be the next Hitler. Therefore, I will save my cat Walrus.

What if Walrus will be the next Hitler?

 

[Archwright]

My dog is a 25 lb welsh corgi. I see no plausible situation where I would not be able to save you both. I mean, seriously, he fits into almost any space.

My dog would probably win out if it came down to it, though. He's never been put on probation on the Escapist.

Edit: noun confusion fixes.

 

[Pontus Hashis]

Also, I got a sort of hedonist philosophy. If my dog dies, both my dog and I will be sad, but if you die, your the only one who gets sad.

 

[HapexIndustries]

I'm afraid I don't really put a higher value on a random human's life than an animal. I don't even have a pet, but I think it's pretty messed up to automatically assume that saving a person is better than saving an animal, whether it's your pet or not, and I say this as a dedicated carnivore/animal killer. For all I know you're a child murdering serial rapist. Assuming that you (as a person) are decent and kind and whatever is nice but seems to fly in the face of the fact that 99% of humans on this planet suck, whereas only maybe 50% of animals suck. Numbers are against you.

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

No offense OP, but my cat is far more valuable to me than a stranger I don't know and have no reason to care about.

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.

Call me cold if you want but I don't really give a shit about people I don't know. I have no interest in feeling any sort of empathy for complete strangers. Besides....what's one more death to the thousands taken by airbags in the US every day? Should I feel sorry for all of those people too?


If I cared about every human that died I'd slip into a depression no amount of mind-altering drugs could put a dent in. So fuck that. I care only about people I know about and want to care about. I was sad when George Carlin died. I feel empathy for Robert Kubica, seeing as he's out of his F1 car for most, if not all, of the 2011 season due to a nasty rally crash. I was upset when one of my cats, whom I've been closely attached to since I was five or six, died of lung cancer, and I was pissed when the other cat I had left from those times got flattened mere weeks later. I don't give two shits about anonymous car crash victim #18,392. That guy is just another bloody statistic.

You just proved his point.

In my opinion, the value of human life is far too important. A pet, though another living thing, doesn't have the same potential of making an impact on the world as an intelligent human being does. My pet is for me, for my entertainment and unconditional love. It's death will only impact me. The death of a person? Who knows how many people his death would impact. How many family members' lives will change without him. What impact he may have had on the world and community around him. I don't know, no one does. But are you willing to risk that? Are you willing to risk the emotional pain and the wasted potential of the death of a human being just because he's one in trillions on this earth?

I don't belittle you for your decision. It was my choice too after all. What I find most important in these kinds of questions is to gain as much insight and perspective on both sides of the issue so that we may make a fully realized and conscious decision.

To me, it's like he said. It comes down to two things: selfishness or big picture?

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

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.

I'm sorry...
I've had my cat for 8 years.
I've grown up with him.
He's part of my family.
He is a living, sentient creature.

No matter how much it is for your benefit, allowing another sentient creature to live rather than die is not a selfish act.

But this does not just apply to the cat, that goes for you as well. Saving my cat would be no more a selfish act than saving your life would be.

Imagine if you had to save your partner from a fire, but your main reason for doing so was because they gave you love and happiness. You're telling me that you would happily accept that you were being selfish in that situation...?

 

[Dr Snakeman]

I love my pet. He brings me such joy every day. Even though I know he will die before I even turn thirty, I do as much as possible to cherish every moment with him and extend my time with him by giving him good pet care. My life would change significantly if he died.

I would save you in a heart beat.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments?from=Main.CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming

I read your post, and being the trope-junkie I am, immediately thought of this page.

You know what you are? Noble. That's called nobility, and that's badass.

P.S. Forgive the sentimentality; I am inexplicably happy as of late.

 

[Plurralbles]

YOu sound like a dick but still... I don't have a pet so I guess I'd let something I don't have die cuz' you know... no loss.

But I'm pretty sure once I got my Great Dane I'd have to ask for a few days to mull about the subject.

 

[SaunaKalja]

You, especially after reading your little edit.

I would likely feel bad about it afterwards, but still.

 

[Comrade_Beric]

snip

Let's try this from another angle: Would you rather I save my pets instead of you?

 

[F-I-D-O]

Here's a different way of wording the same question
"Would you rather your pet die, then an unknown stray animal?"

That would be more equivalent to "would you rather save your mum or a random stranger?"

Again, something you care about, versus something you've never known?
That's actually a much better comparison than mine, you're shooting your "save me" side in the foot here.
Would you rather save an object you care about (let's say a camera with pictures of fond memories on it, a loved object) or some stranger's camera?