Recently observed that asking a general question - I've been called sick?

Question

Somewhat recently I had asked a question about cannibalism. I asked a general question, which was: "If presented the completely legal opportunity to consume Human flesh, would you?" In this question I was asking the general public of Yahoo!ANSWERS to state their answer/opinion on the ingestation of Human flesh, but nowhere in my Question, or Additional Details did I state my own personal opinion or views.

Why is it that people assume my stance on cannibalism, the consumption of Human flesh purely on the fact that I asked the question? I was quite shocked at the number of people who called me "sick" because of my interest in the publics opinion - but in no way rendered my own opinion on the matter.

How am I a "sick" person for asking an opinion?

In my additional details I did state that nowhere did I present my personal opinion on the matter of the cunsumption of Human flesh.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkrEx0XjanX68LgGzCctAQHsy6IX?qid=1006052911288
(The link to my Cannibalistic question)

I've taken into consideration everyone's answer, and I want to thank everyone for answering my question with complete honesty. Here's my feedback on the situation:

"The question is why did you ask a question that you knew would get a reaction from most people."
I actually didn't know that asking a general question would get me called "sick" or "in need of medical help". I thought people would be mature and open minded enough to simply answer a question "Yes" or "No" without accusations or pointing fingers. I guess I expect more from society then I should...

"Ummm ...just a guess but you posted the question under "dining out" which is a bit weird...and the question is certainly odd :)"
Honestly, I wasn't sure what other category to put a question about cannibalism in. I wasn't talking about a society or culture of people who practice it, but rather asking if people in today's modern society would engage in the consumption.

I personally and completely honestly would never ingest Human flesh, not only because it goes against my own personal morals, but because I would fear that it might cause a 'hunger' for it, in which case someone would feel the need to consume more and more - regularly.

I could never see myself eating the fleshof another Human being for the simple fact I've never eaten any meat that isn't beef, swine or pork. I've never had any 'exotic' animals such as tortoise soup or crocodile soup - where as my sister in Florida has experimented with both.

I can't honestly say what I would do under the extremeties of live-or-die and what toll that would have on my opinion of the ingestation of another Human - but I think if it was live-or-die my internal and natural instincts would force me to eat enough to survive.

Pardon - Beef, Swine, or Poultry*

Answer 1

but you still don,t give your opinion now!

so like many of the other answerers who called you sick then i must assume you are in favour of it!!??

i personally wouldn,t fancy trying it,even if legal.

i don,t agree with cannibalism in general,but do believe it can be ok in certain circumstances.

for example there was the famous case of the plane crash many years ago when some survivors ate parts of the dead passengers to keep themselves alive.i don,t see anything wrong with this,those people were already dead,had no need for their flesh anymore,i suppose technically it,s no different from any other animal flesh,beef,chicken,pork,etc. and they didn,t kill anyone,just made use of their no longer required skin.in this instance i think it would be ok.i would rather try it than die!

for example if a cow could talk he would probably say he would never eat a fellow cow,but a human..no problem!
gangsters sometimes feed victims to pigs as they love humans and eat the flesh,bones,everything!

beware of men with pig farms...good movie!!lock,stock and 2 smoking barrels.

a more controversial point would be the instance a few years ago when a man advertised on the internet for someone to eat him.

i believe he met this other man and together they chopped off,cooked and ate his penis.then he gave the man permission to kill him and eat the rest!

while this definitely falls under the sick category,it was his life,his body,his decision,so while i find it disgusting i cannot say he didn,t have they right to do it,i think everyone has the right to decide what they want in life,if he wanted to do that then fine,sick,but fine!!as long as it doesn,t hurt anyone else!

Answer 2

People make assumptions, that is a fact of life. Consider this; when asking a question like that people will automatically think that you have some interest in the subject matter of your question or you would not be asking the question. Since you did not clarify the reason for the question the people who called you sick assumed (wrongly it seems) that your interest was personal and that it is something that you wanted to do. The is an old proverb that says "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it". I would suggest in the future that if you are going to ask a question that you should know will get some people excited (read offended, or upset) then you should make sure to clarify the question that you are asking and possibly clearly explain the reason for the asking, this will probably help you get a better response then what you received with that question on cannibalism. One last thing, humans assume that they know a lot more than they do so if you are going to asking something that might be offensive do so knowing that most people are of simple minds and will immediately assume the worst.

Answer 3

It looks like only JOJO made a reply you are sick.The question is why did you ask a question that you knew would get a reaction from most people. It would appear you are touching a deep rooted response to an obvious taboo issues(eat your enemies) many people can relate to. Food has been tied for eons to human health and consumption. I believe Americans although ethnically diverse in its palate preferences would have a automatic repulsive reaction to your question. This can only left to interpretation that the source of the communication is responsible. You really can't hold them accountable for their"gut" reaction. The connotation that the legal aspect would allow an opportunity to dismiss your personal responsibility is permission to act against your values and your taste buds. Have you been watching too much Fear Factor?
Maybe you should have shared your point of view on your question first then you could have responded to JOJOs, "opinion"
with an open mind. Being "right" by seducing neutrality will get you a personal position instead of an open discussion. The way you asked the question didn't get their opinion, what they got was their reactions. If you could would you! This is loaded with reaction! Shoulda Coulda, Woulda! If I only?

Answer 4

One of the interesting things about the topic of cannibalism is that it does provoke such an intense, immediate and irrational reaction from most people. By irrational I mean unable to consider the topic in a purely objective, intellectual way. As such, people respond the same way they would to any "attack"--their adrenaline goes up (further clouding their ability to think rationally) and they attack back on a personal/emotional level.

I would consider the responses you got as part of your learning about opinions on the ingestion of human flesh. Since it seems your interest is of a scientific/academic nature, I'd agree with the answer above and take care to frame your future questions more carefully. Or at least not take the irrational responses personally!

Answer 5

I've noticed that quite a few people in here like the opportunity to slam someone for what they post in here, and it's not the topic , it's just cause they are that way. I didn't find the premise sick at all, you never said anything about yourself regarding the question. Personally? i don't think i could do it (cannibalism) , then again i bet those same people in "The Donner Party" would've gave the same answer as me....before they hitched up the wagons and left on that trip across the Sierra's...

Answer 6

Dont be too offended, some people take sh!t so literally. I ask off the wall questions all the time. I get the funny looks but its usually from my friends. They expect me to say something gross, odd, or obnoxious. U just have a vast imagination if that makes sense. U seem to have an analytical mind. Those people who said you were sick have probably thought of some odd stuff themselves. U just had the guts to voice your opinion. I thought it was an interesting question. I answered it too! Keep asking questions, damn these folks. Look at some of the stupid questions that had NO thought put into them that are being posted!

Answer 7

The one thing that I see in your question that can make someone think that you are in agreement with it is the way your last few details are worded. They are leading questions.

You use "Wouldn't you be curious?" Rather than "Would you be curious?"

It's a small difference... but that small difference changes the tone of the question from one of simple curiosity to a tone of implication.

Other than that, be as curious as you want and ignore people who condemn you for it. I know that if I was dying of hunger and had to either eat a dead person or die, I'd eat a dead person. Simple as that, though I'm sure I would not enjoy it.

Answer 8

Because people are not interested in thinking anymore. They assume a stance that just judge people, not actually think about a subject. In one that is kinda close to our hearts, they yell, scream and carry on rather than think on the question asked. We've gotten lazy and judgmental. I don't think that you are a sick person for asking, but it may have offended some small minded, unthinking people. And that is my opinion on the question you've asked.

Answer 9

When they call you sick, they just meant they find it extremely horrible. You are on the internet so expect varied reactions. You should also be open-minded enough to know that you are talking to people of different cultures so you cannot expect the same answers from them as you would get from your sets of friends..

Had it not solved your curiosity of cannibalism?

Answer 10

You're not sick... perfectly sane people have eaten human flesh when lost in the middle of nowhere, when their lives are jeopardized by inanition; the death bodies are the survivors' food... wait for this sissies to be in a similar situation, and let's see if they're brave enough to call you "sick" again.