Would you rather have no hearing or no legs?
- Thread starter Gaith
- Start date
At this point in my life I think I'd rather lose my hearing. I don't want to offend anyone with either disability, I am completely ignorant of what people like that must go through, with the very limited exception of the fact that a close friend of mine is 100% deaf in one ear and 99.5% deaf in the other...
But just thinking about my average day, and the things that I wouldn't be able to do if I was a paraplegic, I feel like losing my mobility would be a lot bigger handicap than losing my hearing.
I would miss music, but at this point in my life at least I can still remember what it sounds like. Being born deaf would be a different issue.
Besides, and this sounds like a joke but if you really think about how many instances this crops up in, and if you're crotchety like me you might agree -- imagine all of the really annoying people, stupid conversations, and loud ass, inconsiderate neighbors you would absolutely NEVER have to worry about again?
But just thinking about my average day, and the things that I wouldn't be able to do if I was a paraplegic, I feel like losing my mobility would be a lot bigger handicap than losing my hearing.
I would miss music, but at this point in my life at least I can still remember what it sounds like. Being born deaf would be a different issue.
Besides, and this sounds like a joke but if you really think about how many instances this crops up in, and if you're crotchety like me you might agree -- imagine all of the really annoying people, stupid conversations, and loud ass, inconsiderate neighbors you would absolutely NEVER have to worry about again?
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Well, of course a thread can certainly develop in that direction, but I don't think the question itself is tasteless at all.
Indeed, such "forced choice" questions are sometimes used to develop health care policy, as they can be used to help allocate public funds towards priorities, or what is sometimes more emotively defined as health care rationing. You then get into difficult areas such as whether public opinion is the best determinant of where their money gets spent, how much a representative democracy should represent the will of the people, and so on and so forth.
But the point is that questions like this are part of that dialogue, as well as being an interesting abstract question. Check out how DALYs and QALYs are, and how they're calculated for more detail about how these questions can be used to develop policy.
Of course people can truly answer, they just don't know for sure if they might regret their choice. It's not like we can't think deeply about what our life would be like without either of these choices, especially if we've known people who have to deal with such things.
No 
Knowing people with either (or both) disabilities is not the same as actually having them (perhaps except for living with someone like that for a long period of time, would give one an idea of what it would be like). I see the Deaf/Blind all the time. But I still dont' have any slight idea what it would be like to be one.
My fiancee is hard of hearing, and has the classic frustrations that comes with it. And I can still see how clueless her parents (who are very close to her) are when it comes to what it is like for her to be hard of hearing, caught between the deaf world and the hearing world.
Knowing people with either (or both) disabilities is not the same as actually having them (perhaps except for living with someone like that for a long period of time, would give one an idea of what it would be like). I see the Deaf/Blind all the time. But I still dont' have any slight idea what it would be like to be one.
My fiancee is hard of hearing, and has the classic frustrations that comes with it. And I can still see how clueless her parents (who are very close to her) are when it comes to what it is like for her to be hard of hearing, caught between the deaf world and the hearing world.
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Toss a coin. Life is like a box of chocolates.
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No hearing.
The fact that you feel confident characterizing her parents' comprehension of her disability as "clueless" (presumably in comparison to yours), obviously it's your belief that a person can become more aware of a disabled person's trials vicariously, or else you'd be equally ignorant of her difficulties.
Pulpits are cheap, get a sturdier one
the house is an issue..
but they make these scooter things that go through tight places.
knew someone with polio who had one for years.
you can actually adapt a car with just hand controls.
while ia m figting to stay as mobile as possible i would give up my legs rather then my hearing.
love music and the sound of my friends voices.
Nowhere Man
Commodore
No music = no life. I'll lose me legs. I can still visit Rosey and her 5 sisters.
And how does this reek of ignorance to a greater degree than other speculation? Or is this going to turn into another Thread where the overly sensitive demand certain subjects not be broached in "polite company?"
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH1kpgyCed0[/yt]
^I wouldn't know. It's not captioned. 
Indeed
No. It is really incredible that you would post that in response to my posts, RJ. A video with no captions, seriously?
As for the thread question, It is very disrespectful and rude to ask such questions. I wouldn't dare ask people to pick between blindness and dwarfism, or between having cerebral palsy and being Dyslexic. It is demeaning because it implies those things are "worse" than having no "disabilities". There are millions who thrive with such "disabilities", getting Ph.Ds, working as doctors and lawyers, writing books and run businesses, including those who are deaf or those with no legs....or both.
Oh, and the Deaf do enjoy music, in many ways that most of you can't. There is a certain perspective that many of them have for music. Remember that scene in Mr. Holland's Opus where Mr. Holland gives his own son (Cole) an attitude when he assumed Cole knew nothing about the Beatles, when Cole was actually greving for John Lennon.
To think deafness is life without music is pure bullshit. Go to any deaf schools. You will see iPods, iTouch and party posters with "music provided" on them.
Indeed
No. It is really incredible that you would post that in response to my posts, RJ. A video with no captions, seriously?
As for the thread question, It is very disrespectful and rude to ask such questions. I wouldn't dare ask people to pick between blindness and dwarfism, or between having cerebral palsy and being Dyslexic. It is demeaning because it implies those things are "worse" than having no "disabilities". There are millions who thrive with such "disabilities", getting Ph.Ds, working as doctors and lawyers, writing books and run businesses, including those who are deaf or those with no legs....or both.
Oh, and the Deaf do enjoy music, in many ways that most of you can't. There is a certain perspective that many of them have for music. Remember that scene in Mr. Holland's Opus where Mr. Holland gives his own son (Cole) an attitude when he assumed Cole knew nothing about the Beatles, when Cole was actually greving for John Lennon.
To think deafness is life without music is pure bullshit. Go to any deaf schools. You will see iPods, iTouch and party posters with "music provided" on them.
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Yet your blanket statement doesn't allow for individualism among people with "disabilities" either because you lump them all together. The answer to whether my autistic son's life is worse overall than those of non-disabled, neurotypical children, is "yes". However I'd never presume to apply my son's individual life experiences to any other person with any kind disability, including another autistic child, because every person's experiences are unique to them. In the case of many disabilities it's society that causes the problem, not the disability itself, but either way it's wrong to make any type of blanket statement, be it positive or negative.
I understand why you would see these types of questions as insulting, but I think it's possible to see these questions in a positive light because it helps non-disabled people think about these disabilities and what affects they may have on their lives, thereby increasing their understanding of any obstacles faced by people who have these disabilities, both physical and social. Anything that lessens the social invisibility of people with any kind of disability is a good thing in my view.
Asking questions is not rude. I hope you don't find this next question rude - were you born deaf?
Maybe it's just me, but i don't see this as being a tasteless question. It is somewhat thought provoking and totally hypothetical...i mean, he's just asking which would you rather be, not which would you rather fuck? That would be tasteless.
I taught American Sign Language for many years. When working for my degree, ALL of my teachers were Deaf. Not a single one thought they were handicapped, nor did any think they had anything wrong with them. They were proud of their Deafness and were proud of their community. Of course, i am talking about deaf vs. Deaf.
Anyway, this question reminded me of when i was a kid....we'd ask each other these types of questions all the time. "Would you rather be blind or deaf?" "Would you rather lose your arms or legs?" It would spur hours of conversation. We probably did more critical thinking when discussing these types of questions than when we were in school.
Anyway, i read all the answers here and found them all very interesting. At first thought i answered 'my hearing'. But after giving it a LOT more thought...i think, i'd rather lose my legs. I really really really treasure music so very much. I can't imagine life without it. As for my legs....they give me so much pain anyway...it might be a blessing.
*(Now i am knocking wood that this should never happen).
I taught American Sign Language for many years. When working for my degree, ALL of my teachers were Deaf. Not a single one thought they were handicapped, nor did any think they had anything wrong with them. They were proud of their Deafness and were proud of their community. Of course, i am talking about deaf vs. Deaf.
Anyway, this question reminded me of when i was a kid....we'd ask each other these types of questions all the time. "Would you rather be blind or deaf?" "Would you rather lose your arms or legs?" It would spur hours of conversation. We probably did more critical thinking when discussing these types of questions than when we were in school.
Anyway, i read all the answers here and found them all very interesting. At first thought i answered 'my hearing'. But after giving it a LOT more thought...i think, i'd rather lose my legs. I really really really treasure music so very much. I can't imagine life without it. As for my legs....they give me so much pain anyway...it might be a blessing.
*(Now i am knocking wood that this should never happen).
Legs, for sure. I'll push myself around on a skateboard like that woman on Maury Povitch with earbuds in my ears. I can't live without music. I'd rather just die.
