Does The Worth Of A Life...Decrease With Age?

Question

"Women and children first..."

For example, in a hostage situation or fire...they let the children out first. Why not the folks with the best education?

Answer 1

worth of a life never decreases. its our enthusiasm towards life which decreases or increases with age. the one whose enthusiasm ages with age, will surely find life worthless, but the one whose enthusiasm increases like a child's with every added year to one's life, life will be priceless, extremely worthy to live for that person.

edit: hmmmm, its not because of the "decreased" worth of life that women and children are let out first in times of survival crisis. its the capability which matters. children can't handle such crisis, so they are let out first. women are not that quick in movement during such times.(i guess).education doesn't matter at these times.though the president and ministers would be let out first if such thing happens :p. if you look at it from the angle that worth of life decreases with age with survival crisis in mind, then most of the times, old and senior citizens are also let out with the women and children. here the age matters so does their worth of life.education is secondary....at times like this no one has enough time for anything else, except for life and survival.

:)

Answer 2

That is a Rawlesian idea if I have ever heard one.

Long story short, Women and Children go first because you can fit more of them in a life raft, the greatest good for the greatest number. Age has nothing to do with that choice, size does.

Plus, men feel that women are better parents so it is wise to place the children with a mother over a father for that reason.

Sure ,it may make sense to argue that the needs of the one may outweigh the needs of the many, but if you have the choice between one Einstein and three small children, when all is said and done most people will choose the three small children for their innocence and aggregate potential. Most laws or rules protecting children have this presumption of innocence and virtue. .

So the answer is perhaps, but still; it is a judgment call and some will sacrifice the many for the one when the one is someone proven to be greater than most.

Answer 3

An old dilemna. Sociobiology dictates women and children first. For it is the next generation that perpetuates the species, the culture and the clan.

But age can increase the value of an individual if they've learned well in that time and the loss of that knowledge can also harm a community.

Instinct imprinted in the genes, or rational weighing of relative values? It's my guess that instinct usually wins. Except when overcome by class distinctions.

It should be remembered that when Titanic sank, some of the richest passengers escaped in nearly empty lifeboats, while hundreds of women and children went down with the ship.

Answer 4

I would love to say no, but the truth is as you get older you are not valued as much as you are when you are young. Your can be qualified for a job but let a young girl walk in and she will get it before you. Its sad to think how folks are in retirement homes and some of them are there because they can no longer work and take care of themselves. They once led productive lives and now everything they have worked for is gone. Just like my parents before me whom had great advice as I have become older I am like an old computer treated as if I have nothing more to offer the world. Enjoy being treated valuable while you are young because unless you die you become discarded too. To give another example I received a phone call from someone doing a survey. The first question I was ask was how old I was and then they politely was not interested in doing a survey from someone my age. As you are older even an opinion is not valued..And I am not that old...Good luck.

Answer 5

I guess if it is a matter of survival "yes" let the women and children out first, they are our future. If it is about letting an old man die alone because he is old "no", it is a mortal sin even if you are not religious. I live with my elderly father and I fear that if I leave he will die prematurely. My plans are to move back to the city because I hate being alone all of the time and I have to drive a long way to work. I told him that if I move I will come back on the weekends to help. It isn't really fair to me either. Your question touches home with my situation.

Answer 6

a life is a life and they're all important...but it is courtesy (if not noble) to say or act on "women and children first" because you are valuing others more higly then yourself...


now as someone gets older they aren't as good for hard labor but you can get great advice on what not to do from an older person so that you don't wind up making stupid mistakes

Answer 7

Life is the dearest gift we have. To look at it any other way only degrades and cheapens it. Some in our society consider the life of animals to be more important than that of human beings. Others evaluate life in terms of functionality, giving more value to some than to others. These and other forms of thinking have only degraded the value of life to the point where it is practically worthless. This can only be corrected by looking at life from a completely different direction. This can only be accomplished by individuals themselves. I hope you find your answer.

Answer 8

Only if the ability to love and be loved decreases.
Who's to say whose life has how much value to begin with ?
If I am a self-centered pedophile brain surgeon who saves lives everyday,is my life more or less valuable than an illiterate grandmother raising foster kids in the ghetto ?

Answer 9

It depends on the person. I think the value of an aged Einstein is worth more than a young serial killer. We each create our own worth.

Answer 10

It increases in so many ways: Knowledge, Experience, both Personal and Spiritual growth.

Life is precious at any age.