Would you die to allow someone close to you to live?

[Aldo]

It's become a common cliche in movies for one of the characters to sacrifice themselves in order for the main character to live on. So I got thinking, as viewers we are privy to what happens after said person died, but what if I was that person?

So it got me to this question, I can't come up with a specific situation, but if your death meant the survival of someone you cared for, would you allow yourself to die?

And no cheats, the only way for this person you care about to live on would be for you to die.

 

[auntiehill]

For my nephew or my nieces--- yeah, I probably would.

 

[Amaris]

Yes. If it meant dying to save them, I would do so for my niece and nephew.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Got nothing better to do I guess.

 

[Kestra]

It would depend on how unpleasant the death was! But conceivably there are one or two people I'd die for.

They'd better do something important with their lives though!

 

[B.J.]

Everyone who has kids (like myself) should get a pass on this question. No brainer, really.

 

[JiNX-01]

I hope I would have the courage to sacrifice my life to save a child (even if it wasn't someone close to me).

 

[ed629]

My sister, and that's the only person I would die for.

 

[boobatuba]

For my kids, in a heartbeat. Very likely for any child, as well, but it's hard to say for sure until you reach that moment of decision.

 

[BigFoot]

I'm the youngest in my family, and I don't have any kids... so no.

 

[Jono]

For me I would.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Of course.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Yes. My life has been rather (and I mean immensely) unfulfilled, so if I can get someone else to do better, let's do it.

 

[sojourner]

What about the reverse? Would you let someone related to you to die if it meant you could live?

 

[Kelthaz]

Honestly, I don't think I could. I would risk my life to save someone I care about, but give it up? I can't say for sure unless I was in a situation like that, but I really don't think I would be able to do it.

What about the reverse? Would you let someone related to you to die if it meant you could live?

Never. Well, unless the other person was really old and sick, but that's just practical.

 

[Pingfah]

No idea, any reply I give when the option isn't genuinely on the table is pretty meaningless.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Yes, I certainly would.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Yes.

 

[Pingfah]

What about the reverse? Would you let someone related to you to die if it meant you could live?

Is that really the reverse? It is implicit in the original question that choosing not to sacrifice yourself will cause you to live and them to die, so it sounds like the same question to me.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

When answering this question, I also need to consider the consequences of either person's death.

If I died, how many others out there who need my help, either on a personal or professional level, would have to suffer? Could I have much more to offer to the world? Could I save or change more lives for the better or for the worse? Is all that worth my sacrifice?

I can see a degree of selfishness about it all. Is it selfish that I choose to live so that I can fulfil my personal agenda to help others - something that is not even guaranteed, and which could backfire spectacularly? Is it selfish that I throw it all away and die in a state of personal contentedness to help just one person regardless of the countless others who could benefit from me?

How would I react if I lived and the other person died? Would I be full of remorse over the death of the loved one I should have saved, that I just stop everything I do and enter a prolonged period of mourning? Or will it add a new-found drive that I've been given another chance at life?

All of the above of course also applies to the other person in question, whether they lived or died instead of me, and whether they would do the same thing to me.

If I had no time to think about it, though. then I'd go with my gut instinct. I feel that the point about living with the knowledge that I denied someone's continuing life, so that I could further my own, would have a great effect on me and would haunt my every decision afterwards. Rather than consider their sacrifice as a gift and a means to drive myself further, I'd still see it as a burden in that they could have done something with their life instead of me (though there is still no guarantee of this). Therefore, my default answer, with the best of intentions, is still YES.