Would you sacrifice yourself if it was to save those you love and are most important to you?

Question

But what if something bad would happen to many others, apart from your loved ones/those most important to you, if you did sacrifice yourself? But what if you let all those dear and important to you die, and it would save many others? How would you solve such a dilemma? And what if everyone that would be effected by your decision knew exactly what you were doing, were watching your every move and were practically standing right beside you? Would that have an influence on your decision, versing if they were oblivious that you had to make such a choice and had no idea?

Answer 1

The love or fear of thing is what drives man to do what he does. Your question is one of degree which is answered by the primal drive.

Answer 2

You give too many What if's...
I would willingly sacrifice myself to know that my children would have a good life, and be able to benefit from losing me.

If on the other hand, If I were in a position such as a field officer in combat, sacrificing myself for one or two individuals would not be beneficial, and very well could hurt many more people outside of those that I saved.
If I had solid proof that my child was going to go out and shoot up the school, I would not have any remorse for taking his or her life, and with solid proof, the courts would agree.

I am glad that we do not know the extent of our actions, because it would limit our learning curve and greatly increase the time that it would take to become a perfected being.

Answer 3

haha, sounds like a question from my ethics book. People who believed in utilitarism would say do the greatest good for the great number of people and the least amount of negativism for the least amount of people.

Here is one: There is a railroad track with a train coming down it...you are at the switch to pick the direction of the train. On one rail, there is a group of 10 people. On the other rail is your mom...who do you save? Now, let me ask you. If there was only one rail and a group of 10 people down the tracks and a train was coming, but you knew that if you pushed a fat man standing nearby in the way of the train that his dead body would stop the train.

You can make the choice between your mom and the ten people...hopefully your mom will understand, right? But when you are actually pushing a man in the way...it is alittle different because you are the reason he is going to die. Good question, tough dilemma.

Answer 4

"Would you sacrifice yourself if it was to save those you love and are most important to you?" - I hope so!
"But what if something bad would happen to many others, apart from your loved ones/those most important to you, if you did sacrifice yourself?" -- I would want my loved ones and people most important to me protected first, sorry. (This is removed from danger, healthy, protected by police, and doctor safe right. OK)
Interesting, well if all my loved ones and important people are safe as stated earlier, and I'm dead - I can live with that.
I would be uncomfortable on TV as I'm not an out going extrovert type, but if I died quickly I guess it would be OK.
I guess my last thoughts would be sad that people I don't know are in danger next, but at the SAME TIME I'd be happy my son, and family are safe. But I'd still be dead and could stop worrying about a lot of stuff. Right?

Answer 5

Dear dear friend,

We all see too much of dramatic movies. It is only in the movies that we see, step by step, the faces , the emotions and the actions. real life is far , far removed from those movie slow motions.

Actuallu what happens are nothing anywhere near any PREMEDITATED action. The mind, the body shortcircuits many logical thinking and reasoning and it acts immediately . depending upon your relationship and closeness with the "victim" the timing varies . That is it.

A mother sees a child drowing. She will act ATONCE. No yahoo question/answer verification , friend. Similar will be the case with friends , any one you love. You will take risk to save the lives of your dear and near ones. Sure.

People start to sacrifice their belongings to save their dear ones. The action involves , money, blood , kidneys , eyes..... and may be life itself.

Answer 6

My friend, I think your answer is a really 'tough' yet 'thoughtful' question. I believe that we all have been there before though some may yet to face it.
However, I will give you my point of view in regard of your dilemma question.

One of the rules that man (hereinafter I will us this 'man' as referring to human ; both sexes) need to consider is that man is never perfect. It means, we cannot be perfect in doing everything that we may or may not have to do. Therefore, in your situation, you must know that you may not be able to give both parties or side the satisfaction through your decisions. Of course, there will be conflict. Therefore, my point here is that you need to make a good decision. In conjunction with that, you need to ask yourself, who you love the most? Or which side you will be more to sacrifice? Or in the most extreme way, which side you may die for?Even though there are many other things that you need to consider but the general ones will be such above.
In regard with those factors that will affect our decision, like I say earlier, all you need to do is to decide the best (or as good as you can) decision. It means, let it not for them to decide but let it be us (you) to decide in the time that is given to us (you). It will be impossible for you to give two best decisions for both parties or sides in one moment of your life. (as you are only one)
Even if you can...you will just make things worst.( in which will of course happen). But surely there is one thing you can do about it...i.e. to pray that they may understand your noble sacrifice.
If I were in your situation, I think I will 'die' for those really close and those I loved the most and pray that there will be at least a good results to flow to the other party also. (which most of us will not believe.)
Comprehensively, 'die' for someone or something that you really believe from the very bottom of your heart. In other words, 'die for your noble principles of life.'

Answer 7

This is why I love so few people, not everyone deserves that I should die for them. My whole being has to be defined in tandem with theirs. Scores of nameless people -- I hardly care to do the quantificational calculus. Die, it doesn't concern me.

For someone I love, there is nothing I wouldn't do. Something like that has to be a part of the very definition of 'love'.

Answer 8

I don't get your question. Like what kind of bad things are gonna happen to other people? If everybody else on earth dies, my loved ones are not gonna be happy, no matter what I do; they'll be alone. And I think you can help your loved ones more if you were alive rather than dead, unless it was to save their life from somebody else or something. And again, if you love them, it doesn't matter who dies, cause love's gonna live nevertheless.

Answer 9

yes--people I love are first. No matter if the whole Universe watched.

Besides, would not doing it, be honorable or respectable? It would not...and I love my family and close friends.

unless they asked me themselves they DID NOT WNAT ME TO DO IT....say, a best best friend...then I might not..

otherwise, if its my 12 year old daugther (if I ever have one), I will do it no matter what, they are not old enough to make a judgement...and even if my kids were 50, I would still give my life for them no matter if they didn't want it.

Answer 10

That is a huge question.
Basically you are asking a war question. Would I give my life to indirectly save others.
I don't know. I like to think I would or could if life asked that of me.
Seems very noble and idealistic
Which I fear is something being lost in this world

Answer 11

Figure out how to save those closest to you like a hero in the movies without dying. Get the girl and ride off into the sunset.