Thread: You Or 10 Others?

I would chose to rather let them die without risking my own life, altough it would be possible saving them and surviving.

Originally Posted by Seeker

So, if someone lobbed a hand-grenade into a group of school kids and you could save them by throwing yourself on it?
[/b]

Now, that's different.

If it was to save a room full of kids, I'd do it. I just don't know if I could do the same thing for a room full of adults. Call me biased.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

If it was to save a room full of kids, I'd do it. I just don't know if I could do the same thing for a room full of adults. Call me biased.
[/b]

A room full of kids is a room full of untapped potential. The same cannot be said for a room full of adults and definately does not apply to a room full of lawyers

what of a room full of priests?

Originally Posted by Seeker

A room full of kids is a room full of untapped potential. The same cannot be said for a room full of adults and definately does not apply to a room full of lawyers
[/b]

:bravo: Or politicians.

Originally Posted by Conforming

what of a room full of priests?
[/b]

muhahahaha.

On another topic: Isn't it murder to knowingly let someone (or 10 people) die? It just doesn't matter if you don't know the people. If you knew it were your friends or family, or even the people you hate, then all of a sudden it seems more real, and thus bad.

Easiest decision I'd ever have to make in my life. 10 people die, I live. I'm not even going to pretend to have a moral twinge. I mean, 10 random people? If I don't have to see them die, if I don't have to know their names, if I don't have to know anything, how could I ever possibly feel morally in the wrong anyway?

It's not like I'd have much to go on. I could always say it was all a lie: I didn't see the ten people die, so maybe they didn't die. Maybe it was just a test. That could not be true, but it would comfort me and allay all my fears because of that possibility.

Now, if I had to SEE the people, see them die, that would be slightly more complicated. I'd feel the repercussions a lot more. But ultimately I would still vote to save myself.

But frankly, I think there's something wrong with you if you voted any other way. I mean, you have a sense of self-preservation, because you're a product of evolution. You're denying it or you're Mother Theresa.

EDIT: Since we're on the topic, I'd still let the 10 kids die. Not likely any of them was a future Einstein, anyway.
EDIT EDIT: I'm going to Hell.

You can accuse me of being an inhuman monster with no sense of morals, but I would immediately choose my own life over that of ten anonymous ones.

My reasoning is nothing complex. I am human. My instinct... the core of my being is to attain homeostatis. In other words, I want to survive. I will go onto many lengths... not any... but many to achieve this.

Were I to choose between myself or ten close friends I would gladly give myself. However, without knowing them, I'm simply unable to draw a rational leveled conclusion about what weighs heavier.

In this case I put myself at the highest because it is my last human resort. It is a tricky situation and I react accordingly.

I'd like to say I'd choose the 10 people to live, but I think I'd choose myself.

Live of course. Even if 1000 random people would die I'd still chose my own life, it's too valuable for me

I would sacrifice myself. As a Christian I'm not afraid of death. As for the 10, even if I don't know who they are, they still have hope while they're still alive, but I'll spare you the rhetoric.

Now, if they were just going to kill the 10 after me and I knew it, I would just say no to the whole thing and try to take them out.

Those ten would be living if the choice was mine. I couldn't live with the guilt knowing that I caused the deaths of ten others when I had to chance to save them.

My answer is: I'd die.

Well, I really hope I'd choose to die, but I don't really know how I'd respond in that kind of situation.

I do understand that I don't know or give a rip about those 10 people, haha, but the truth is, someone else does, and I should be ready to accept my own death when it comes (according to my beliefs).

if in the scenario if I can actually see the 10, then yes I might sacrafice myself for them

if in the scenario im playing video games and someone random says 10 people are going to die unless I die, I would tell them to bugger off becuase im fighting the boss!!

I can't take the scenario seriously unless I see the 10. otherwise its just a prank in my eyes

Come on, everybody is concerned primarily with themselves...you take priority over everyone else, especially if it's 10 strangers, people you never met, and most likely never will.

Ok, nearly everyone puts them self first (unless you're some kind of saint, which I doubt), and would of course rather save their own life since they could care less about a bunch of unknown people dying. It happens all the time, right? Every couple of seconds? They'd just be another statistic.

Originally Posted by Arachanox

Those ten would be living if the choice was mine. I couldn't live with the guilt knowing that I caused the deaths of ten others when I had to chance to save them.
[/b]

Don't you think you already could have saved a dozen people in your life time? Just a few dollars can quite often saves a couple of children in Africa.

Isn't that murder too?

I don't think so. There's a difference between consciously choosing between yourself and 10 people, and simply never having thought about donating money to needy causes etc. One is very direct, one is a bit careless but much more indirect.

I agree that there is a difference, but in essence you are killing just as much people, if not more, by Not doing anything. Only by not doing anything (and thus letting people die you could have saved) it is WAY more easy to think it is 'okay'. While actually the results are Exactly the same as letting 10 random unknown people die.

Yes. The results definitely are, like you say, but at the end of the day what it comes down to - for a lot of people - feeling "good" about what they've done, not actually whether they've done the right thing. A bit like milk-bottle caps for dialysis machines!*

* Most obscure yet apt quote ever.

Originally Posted by Neruo

Isn't it murder to knowingly let someone (or 10 people) die? [/b]

Choosing the option of ten people dying would be murdering ten people. I would rather be dead than live with having killed ten unknown people. If I could choose to kill pedophiles or rapists, I would feel fine with it, but I would not choose to kill ten unknowns.

I don't see how anybody could live with knowing they chose for ten unknowns to die out of 100% selfishness. The people who have given their lives for the freedoms we have, and in so many cases take completely for granted, thought nothing like that.

Maybe if it really came down to it and I had to make the big decision on the spot, I would chicken out and then have to be in therapy for the rest of my life, but I would be doing something terrible.

Originally Posted by Neruo

I'd choose to live. It's just... not a decision for me. I believe the human instinct towards self-preservation is just too strong.
[/b]

A great many people have shown otherwise. No matter what I would actually end up doing in that situation, I'm glad there are people who have it in them to die for others. We are reaping the benefits as we speak.

Universal.

You could have quite easily saved 10 people within your lifetime. Why don't you feel bad about Those people you 'killed'.

I would die for ten people. I don't see why not. I would die for one person. I feel satisfied with my life, I'm only sixteen, but I still feel that I've up until this point lead an extremely lucky and happy life. Living in a wonderful country, having the amazing friends I have, the good family, food and water everyday.... My life is just as important as any other persons, but seeing as how I'm not afraid of death, and I would rather see someone else go on to live their lives rather than myself, I would have to sacrifice myself.

Originally Posted by Universal

A great many people have shown otherwise. No matter what I would actually end up doing in that situation, I'm glad there are people who have it in them to die for others. We are reaping the benefits as we speak.[/b]

Actually, I disdagree. I believe that if no-one was willing to risk death for anyone else, the world would be a MUCH better place. I think it;'s people's willingness to die for "the greater good" that has, being one factor, fucked the world up so badly.

Originally Posted by Nyx

Well, I think just about everyone would pick themselves over 10 uknowns to be honest. I think a better question would be something harder like you or your best friend, your love ones, etc. That would be more complicated scenario.
[/b]

I tend to agree with this. Given the option of ten loved ones, or me, I would choose to die, but for ten random people, I would choose live, as though I would feel bad about it, I don't know who they are, and have no attachment to them. Though it is sad, tons (literally) of people die every day from one reason or another before they should die, and though you can feel sad, and should try to help people in need somehow, you can't go feeling bad about everyone who dies.