Would You Sacrifice Your Well-Being to Save a Life?

[Mr. Spazza]

Would you be willing to sacrifice your welfare in order to save someone else?

For example:
If you heard someone shouting for help inside of a burning building and the firemen had not yet arrived, would you be willing to suffer severe burns to try and save their life?
OR
If someone needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but they had a cold sore, would you be willing to contract HSV-1 to save that person's life?

(I can't think of anymore examples, but if you can come up with any, feel free to contribute them.)

What do you value more? Minor/Major aspects of your welfare, or another person's life?

Would your answer change if a family member or loved one's life was at stake?

Would you be prepared, or even able, to live with the guilt if you decided not to save them? If you don't think that you would feel guilty about letting them die, why do you think that you wouldn't feel guilty about it?

Discuss.

Edit: The situation doesn't have to be as extreme as running into a burning building.

Edit 2: The situation doesn't necessarily have to be my two examples. I'm not asking "what would you do in these two examples?". They're just the only ones that I could think of.

 

[Dr. wonderful]

Yes...I would put my life on the line...

As long as I can make wisecracks

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

Considering how you feel about it when thinking about it, and how you feel about it when it's actually happening are highly different, it's impossible to tell.

I would like to say "Yes", but I sadly doubt it.

 

[Jack_Uzi]

Depends on the person I would risk it for. For a few people I would rather watch the re-runs of some crappy show than risk my life.

 

[Mr. Spazza]

Considering how you feel about it when thinking about it, and how you feel about it when it's actually happening are highly different, it's impossible to tell.

I would like to say "Yes", but I sadly doubt it.

Yea I suppose that is pretty hard to factor into the situation. You can preach 'til you're blue in the face about how you'll always do the heroic thing. But how you act in the heat of the moment is a lot different then how you think that you'll act.

You can imagine being the hero who stops the armed robbers, but if you ever get a gun pointed in your face, how are you going to act then?

 

[Radeonx]

If it was risking my life to save someone (IE: The fire), probably not. However, if it was something simple, then maybe.

 

[Ayrtonh]

I have been in some pretty tight situations, nearly life threatening, so I can say that it would depend on the person. For the person I love I would gladly give my life not even kidding. For a friend I would risk severe injury and for an enemy I would try to help but not to hard...

 

[Mr. Spazza]

Depends on the person I would risk it for. For a few people I would rather watch the re-runs of some crappy show than risk my life.

What if it was a friend, family member, or loved one?

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

I'd sacrifice my life to save someone else. I have a strange disregard for my own existance, but a high respect for everyone else's. I'd rather save someone else and die, than live and someone else die.

 

[Draithx]

For a friend, family member or loved one, I would try to help them no doubt.
For a random person, as long as I don't get in too much danger I'd help them too. Minor burns would be okay for example, however getting my whole arm burned off wouldn't be.
For an enemy or someone I really dislike, I would do absolutely nothing to help them.

 

[AvsJoe]

This is a lose/lose situation at its finest. If I don't attempt to save the life, I will feel massive guilt for the rest of mine. If I do then I lose my pretty damn good way of life. Lose/lose.

It depends on the situation, I guess.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Probably not. I mean, running into a burning building is never a good idea. I may be able to save someone, but I'm in no way prepared to deal with everything once I get in there, and would fail horribly.

So no, unless it was a reasonable thing to do that I knew how to do.

 

[Zeeboe]

Hell no.

 

[Ayrtonh]

I'd sacrifice my life to save someone else. I have a strange disregard for my own existance, but a high respect for everyone else's. I'd rather save someone else and die, than live and someone else die.

Total agreement.

 

[Agayek]

Considering how you feel about it when thinking about it, and how you feel about it when it's actually happening are highly different, it's impossible to tell.

I would like to say "Yes", but I sadly doubt it.

Basically what this guy said. It's impossible to tell unless you're actually in that situation. I'd like to think I would, but I simply don't know.

I will say, though, that I'm pretty sure I would, if I judged there was a decent chance I could rescue them and get out alive.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I'm an Eagle Scout, and therefore bound by my code to help others. So yes I would. Although the second example doesn't apply to me...I always carry a resuscitation mask.

 

[sms_117b]

I'd always weigh up the scenario, let me take your two for example;

> The burning house would more than likely result in me going in, silly goodie-two shoes upbringing, however, being resonably smart I'd look around for a water source to cover myself in first, a layer of water could reduce the chance of burns and I'd probably use something to cover my mouth to decrease the amouth of smoke being inhaled.

> Unconcious casulty, no breathing, and a cold sore, unless I had my pocket mask (I'm a lifeguard and I usually have it on my person just in case) a open wound around the mouth is something we're trained to avoid so no, no in this case. Unless there was something around I could fasion a mask from. Maybe a carrier a bag I could rip a hole in, anything to lower the skin contact.

First I'll always check the emergency services are en route, if they're not and you go in, it's more stupid than heroic.

 

[Zarokima]

Only if it's someone I actually care about. I may be a jaded, sullen misanthrope, but I'm fiercely loyal and protective of the few I like.

 

[Marik2]

Well I would do anything in my power to help another person. And I would try my best to save someone in a burning house.

Because what if you were in that situation?

Wouldn't you want someone to help you?