Would you give your life to save a stranger?

Question

If yes, would it depend on how painful the death was? Suppose it was something like being slowly chopped to bits from the feet up; would you go through that to save even someone you love? Would it be conditional, dependent upon age or ethics/morals of the person being saved? What if the death involved something that you are specifically phobic about, such as snakes/spiders/heights etc.? How far would you go for another person?

Ok. Let's put it this way. Suppose someone came to you and showed you someone that they would kill if you didn't die for them. Suppose it included a very painful death. Would you or wouldn't you?
And why or why not? What specifications would it depend on?

Answer 1

The short answer is no. The slightly longer, more thoughtful answer is HELL no.

Let me point to the easy reasoning here: you offer a stranger as the gain, and me as the loss. Frankly, I have a LOT of difficulty imagining a stranger I COULD value more highly than I value me. Thus, cancelling myself for the gain of your unknown value is an unattractive option to me.

Go ahead and posit the choice: "Albert Einstein with a dash of Jesus, or you." Even then, I have to say, "Go away, you very silly person. I am a better poet than Einstein, and I can turn water into urine. Moreover, I'm prettier than either."

I don't dismiss the question, though. If you find anyone who answers it affirmatively, you've probed into and found a dismal truth: some people are already dead to themselves. I wouldn't invite those people to a party; they have to be party-poopers par excellence.

Answer 2

Honestly, I don't know. I believe that no person can know themselves in these situations unless they are in it at that moment. Because in the moment you are who you really are. Whether you are brave, a coward, selfish or giving. I will tell you what I believe I would do... and that is try to save two lives instead of one. It wouldn't be conditional. however I will say that my determination will increase or decrease depending on the person I am trying to save. More if it was a child or baby... A little less if it were a grown man with more survival training (military, they might have learned a few tricks that could help them) than I could get in a lifetime.

Answer 3

Quite an interesting question Aprille,
humans i feel are quite unfinished as
in reference to how one was yesterday
or how will they be tomorrow and if the
future is within any reach.
To answer in simple form as in your
question asking directly to us in the here
& now would ( i ) me save somebody's life
who is a complete stranger ...
This is a question which cannot be answered,
because we as humans are not the authentic
BEINGS we were before we had consciousness
as we have it now in our comtemporary life styles.
You see now we think before we act, where as
before we would react as a reflex to fight or flee
from danger. Everything regarding your question
has left the thinker to expose to you that ones state
of mind is forever in motion with thoughts;
to be chopped up in little bitty pieces to save
a stranger is quite a dilemma to be counqered,
we are little universes, the atoms within us change,
we do not have the same atoms as when we were born,
the speed at which our atoms move within its ways
have the same velocity as the stars, we may say yes in one moment to save someone and in the next moment
say no. For some god and desire are directing forces
to his spirit, a conscious unity of an infinite consciousness
to their god and one may take into consideration his duty
would be to save your victim, on the other hand one who has
either no belief system or metaphor to religion their answer
is equally challenging because from this stand point the percentage might be the same .....
You see i cannot even answer this because i do not know,
i can assume a position of yes or no but this is creating
an artificial universe of example ...
I could say yes and come up with an answer, or i could say
no and come up with an answer, its relevant only to ones state of mind ... When you add pain and suffering to the equation
it has an effect of an off balance problem, to give up ones life in
such a manner either places the individual into a completly
unselfish modality ...... or, the human response for surviving
his own way. That to give up his life would not change a thing.
So why bother ..
A religious person may find gratitude or salvation in giving up
their life to save another whether there would be change after his death or not because in his mind he is receiving grace for his deeds ..
I mean, i could say, NO !! i would not, then tomorrow see
someone in this state of affairs and save them without a thought.
It all is a state of mind in its reality of application to save a stranger.
As a hypothetical question it can also be a state of mind as to how to give an answer .........
As a Hypothetical answer i'd say, no i wouldn't, i'd live to eliminate the perpetrators of such horror .......

Answer 4

No, not a stranger. I would however do my best to get help if I saw something horrible happening to a stranger.

As for giving up my life, I would only do this for someone I loved.

I would however try to save someone from danger if I felt capable.. such as a child drowning... I couldn't stand by and watch that.

Answer 5

I would do anything for someone. I would definitely save a stranger, if there was a car coming I would push the person out of the way and take the hit. Almost anything....no matter how scary. I am not very brave, but I love people and I would give my life for them.

Answer 6

Generally I act first and think about it later. I don't think I am going to die. I just assume the other person needs help and dive head in. If I die too bad. If it is painful all the worse. At any rate I help out and take what life has to offer and so far I have been lucky. Car wrecks, fire, fights, whatever.

Answer 7

I'd offer some profound insight into life and then go get drunk. Here's one now. Maybe this kind of question illustrates the types of relationships we actually build. Many of us form relationships with people who are floundering, we help them by giving ourselves. Unfortunately they tend to take us down with them. I think that may be where an ability to rise above emotions would come in. You can't be objective about a situation or person when you're being hurt. I don't think you can truly help another when you can't see past all your own sh*t anyway.

Answer 8

I would like to think that I WOULD give my life to a stranger.
Part of that answer may depend on how depressed I am about
myself at the moment, but the philosophy doesn't really change
dependent on the mode of death.

That being said, who knows until it happens to them?
I might have no philosophical objection to dying by being burned
alive, but may still not be able to make myself step into a fire.

Answer 9

I personally would try to save or even die for anyone in danger. Its probably in my personality that I would do that. Its about ur willingness to give and not expect to receive. I wouldn't want anyone to go through pain but to save someone, I would prefer enduring the pain myself. I think its more painful seeing someone go through pain than having the pain urself.

If it was a loved one; definitely.

Answer 10

I would do anything to save a person in harm's way. I wouldn't want to die but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I stood by and did nothing and watched someone die. Especially someone helpless like a child or elderly person.