If you had to choose...?

Question

Here is the choice:
You must decide on who lives and who dies:
1. Your 65 year old father (or other parental figure)
or
2. A 5 year old child that you have never met before
or
3. Yourself

Two can live, one must die.

Who would you choose, if given no other option, and why?

(Classic psych question)

Answer 1

I find myself incapable of making that choice. I would have to let fate decide. I would throw a dice set 1-2 my father, 3-4 the child, 5-6 myself and accept the result.

Answer 2

This is as much philosophical as it is psychological. It may sound selfish, but I would be inclined to choose myself and my father (who is already deceased anyway) but there are so many variables that can be introduced based on the same 3 people such as states of health, do I have any relationship with the child who could be the child of a relative I haven't seen for some years?
The child could be the offspring of a woman who could have been made pregnant from sperm I may have donated and not known the child previously. Where do you start?
If the decision has to be instantaneous, I would take my original choice.

Answer 3

A five year old child that I have never met before. Because I love my daddy more than anything (he's the best father in the world) and why would I give my life for some child that I don't know? My life is important not only to me but also to those who love me.

Answer 4

I would consider who was asking, and why, with all the advances given to medicine there should not have to be a choice. If the knowledge now known is used in such a manner than I would question the ethics of such a choice being placed upon another life. and I would also consider eliminating from my choice the physician who has asked .There has been enough advance to where there should not be such a need to choose who would live or die.

Answer 5

I would choose a fourth option. I would attempt to defend the old man and the child from the person or persons that are putting their lives in danger.

Answer 6

Although this would be the hardest choice I'd have to make, my father

My mother would be crushed and so would my father to lose a child before them. And that five year old child may one day be the person who one day may find the cure for some life threatening disease. They have their life ahead of them.

Answer 7

A five year old child that I've never met before. It will have no effect on me. I hope for it to be slaughtered in the most brutal way possible so as to garner world wide attention. That way the perpetrator will be destroyed.

Answer 8

I would choose to die...my father gave me life, so I can return the favor, and the child has not had a chance to live, so deserves the experiences that I have had

Answer 9

I'm just like my parents, I would give up my life with in a heartbeat so a child could live. Knowing my parents, so would they, regardless if they know the child or not. We have lived our life, and would give up our lives so that the child could have a chance to live his/hers. So I choose the child to live.

Answer 10

Hello, Secret. Welcome to Q&A. I don't know much about psych & didn't know that this was a classic question, but I'll answer because it's interesting & I'd really like to know more about why it's so classic & what it means.

I wouldn't like this scenario one little bit, but that probably doesn't matter. I wouldn't ask my parental figure to die in my place & although I'm not very fond of rug-rats, I couldn't stand myself if I let him/her die in my stead. So, I'd go out cussing and yowling & in no small amount of ill temper, but I'd pick myself to die and let the other two live.

Of course, if there's an after-life of any kind, I'd probably haunt the heck out of both of them for the rest of their natural days. lol