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

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Blue Musician

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Mar 23, 2010
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Mr. Spazza said:
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.
Another of these threads?
OT: In Mexico I would say I wouldn't, since normally you would get killed, and then when you are killed the drug dealers either cut your head, some limb, or anything and they send it to the police, they hang you in the nearest bridge or they kill all your family or all of these things at the same time. They do not kill you with respect, they humiliate you even after you are dead.
In another country I would probably, but I'm not sure.
 

Portacaro

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Jun 3, 2008
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Yes. It is what I am payed to do. Off the clock though I would like to think that I would still do it.
 

spinFX

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Aug 18, 2008
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I think most people answering that they would sacrifice themselves are very naive. You have no idea what your survival instincts are capable of.
 

InnerRebellion

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Mar 6, 2010
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Probably not. I disregard my own existence as important, but I wouldn't end mine to save another person. I don't see a huge importance to an average individual, so the loss of their life may be saddening to some, but unless they contributed something like literature or artwork or an invention to the human race, they can die.
 

CrazyGirl17

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Sep 11, 2009
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Mr. Spazza said:
CrazyGirl17 said:
Depends on the situation, I guess.
Well? Elaborate. What situation would make you take action?
Well, say for instance that I saw someone about to get hit by a car. I'd probably rush in, since I couldn't just stand by and let it happen (if it ever did. Maybe.)
 

Azazcyh

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Jul 3, 2008
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I've gone over this a thousand times in my head, and I always come to the same conclusion. Yeah, I would. If I can stop somebody from slipping into the afterlife, then that's what I'm gonna do. Sure, maybe you have to be in the situation to know for sure, but I'm damn near positive that I would do it, but who knows? Maybe that's just my naivety talking.
 

Ekit

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Oct 19, 2009
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Mr. Spazza said:
Ekit said:
I would like to say Yes, but I'm not so sure that I actually would risk my life for a stranger. But then again... I don't think I could live with the guilt if I didn't save the stranger.... Damn, this is hard!
Your life doesn't necessarily have to be at stake. But your life would be effected. What would you do then?
I wouldn't do it if my life was at stake, or if I would get severe physical handicaps for the rest of my life. I think I only would act if the negatvie consequences wouldn't be permanent.
 

majorboon

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Jun 8, 2010
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If it were friends or family yes, but I probaly wouldent if it was a stranger, or someone I don't like.
 

Panda Mania

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Jul 1, 2009
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Snap. I would like to be a selfless hero, but the truth is...

I care too much about myself, just like everyone else on earth.

Besides, isn't your well-being the thing you live life for?
 

Thirsk

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Jan 18, 2009
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I'd love to say yes, I really would.

I think I might be too much of a coward when I'm in the actual situation.

Depends a bit on the situation at hand too, though.
 

Billion Backs

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Apr 20, 2010
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I wouldn't bother unless it was someone I identified with or cared about.

Considering that I don't agree with majority of the world on various ideas - for fuck's sake, 80% of the world population identify themselves as theists, I'd say screw it. God can save them or some shit.

Running into a burning building to save someone is the dumbest idea. You're not in a Hollywood movie. Smoke inhalation and burn damage is serious business. Let the trained professionals handle it, don't become another fucking casualty. I've been in a rather small fire, and it's not pretty.

The cold sore thing isn't a big deal. It's a different kind of herpes, it's not the same as genital herpes and it can be gotten rid of fairly easily. And I might add that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, especially by an untrained person, has something less then 2% chance of actually doing anything. It's not the same thing you see on every fucking movie with romantic subplot involved. Either the person would be okay anyways, or you'll have to pretty much break their ribs pushing on their chest in order to make it work. It's that brutal.

For all I care, I'm more important then a stranger. If it meant I stayed alive, I'd kill a stranger, although I can't imagine of such a situation arising in any type of rational reality. I'm not talking about the mugger/attacker type of stranger here, too. Just a regular bystander.

Why? Any type of belief in a soul is downright retarded. This is the only life I've got, and however pointless it might be I'd rather have the ability to experience the world then, well, not. Every ounce of absolute agony is still more fun then non-existence. Although given the fact that you won't really know that you don't exist because you don't exist kind of evens out the whole deal if you think about it.

I can be very egoistic. So no, I wouldn't feel much guilt, if any at all.
Guilt, after all, is just another form of oppression.
 

Irony's Acolyte

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Mar 9, 2010
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TheNumber1Zero said:
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.
Ditto. I hope that when the time came I would be willing to lay down my life to save another but situations can change a person and sometimes we don't act like how we would have liked to.
 

Deviltongue

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Feb 2, 2008
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Mr. Spazza said:
Deviltongue said:
Anyone else can go die for all I care.
I'm curious, why is human life so expendable to you?
Hatred is emotional and more often than not there's no real explanation. I hate the human race. Always have. I've never had a real reason and if there was one thing I've never tried to understand it's why I do what I do.
 

Dapsen

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Nov 9, 2008
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If it is someone I hold dear. No comment on that really.

The only time I'd risk my life for an unknown individual, is if there is absolutely no one else around, and the persons chances of getting away by itself are small to non-existent.