# A wild hypothetical question.... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561 "2015-02-13T12:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/1 "2015-02-13T12:29:28Z")
If it could be arranged and you knew everything was on the up and up, would you be willing to have yourself tied to a stake, doused (thoroughly) with kerosene and set ablaze with no pain-killer … and with it being broadcast to a world-wide audience via PPV IF $50-billion – free and clear, no taxes! – would go to your favorite charity and/or cause or person(s) immediately following your death? 😕 So very much good could be done with that kind of dough, an amount most people will never make. I’m not sure what I’d do if the opportunity were to ever come up; but, Methinks I would give it to the American Humane Society if I did.🙂 Sorry for posting this most ridiculous question, but it’s late and I’m bored.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/2 "2015-02-13T12:32:17Z")
Not just no, but hell no. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/3 "2015-02-13T12:52:20Z")
If you’re asking if it is legal, I’d say that it would have to be in a place where suicide is legal and the person lit the fire himself. If you’re asking if I would do it, I’d say this thread belongs in GD. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/4 "2015-02-13T12:56:12Z")
Just so everything’s on the up and up. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/5 "2015-02-13T13:53:24Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this is polling for opinions, let’s move it to IMHO. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/6 "2015-02-13T13:54:13Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Not just no, but hell no. That’s my answer, too. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/7 "2015-02-13T15:06:46Z")
Sorry, my fear of fire and getting burned is just too great. It’s probably my biggest phobia. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/8 "2015-02-13T15:12:49Z")
Nope. No good will be done with that money. My family would eff it up somehow, the charity would eff it up somehow, a corruption would ensue and the world would be worse off because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/9 "2015-02-14T03:10:31Z")
I’ll be even more honest: Assuming some kind of ‘Twilight Zone’ reality here, even if I was told that unless I do this (get burned alive) 100,000 strangers in some foreign country will be killed with a chemical weapon, I’m not going to pretend for one second that I’m altruistic enough that I’d ever agree to do it. Not even with a painless lethal injection… ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/10 "2015-02-14T03:12:31Z")
Ashes… Very dangerous. You go first. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/11 "2015-02-14T03:24:33Z")
Just wondering what you think about when you are REALLY bored… ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/12 "2015-02-14T03:27:23Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > . . . No good will be done with that money. My family would eff it up somehow, the charity would eff it up somehow, a corruption would ensue and the world would be worse off because of it. How can you be sure of that? I can’t think of any way to be sure the money won’t be misused, but how can you be certain it would? I’m going to say yes to the question…but I am imposing a new condition: I get to live a year to enjoy administrating the money – creating endowments and trusts and non-profits – and, yeah, living the good life – and then you can burn my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/13 "2015-02-14T04:32:48Z")
I think [this Cracked.com article](http://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html) is very relevant to my decision (_the Monkeysphere_…) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/14 "2015-02-14T04:41:46Z")
OP: Did you watch the video of the Jordanian pilot being burned alive? If you had, you’d never pose this as a “wild hypothetical question” with everything “on the up and up.” Unless you are a totally twisted human being. To expect people to \*voluntarily \*experience that kind of torture is beyond rationality. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/15 "2015-02-14T05:02:07Z")
Not just hell no; Fuck No. :dubious: It’s not just the burning, it’s the _inhaling_ of smoke and flame. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/16 "2015-02-14T05:07:31Z")
Inhaling the smoke might be the best thing you could do; it hastens death. (Inhaling the flame sounds really hideous!) ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/17 "2015-02-14T09:15:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > OP: Did you watch the video of the Jordanian pilot being burned alive? If you had, you’d never pose this as a “wild hypothetical question” with everything “on the up and up.” Unless you are a totally twisted human being. To expect people to \*voluntarily \*experience that kind of torture is beyond rationality. No I haven’t watched any of those horrible videos those lunatics have produced and don’t intend to. I have a clear conscious about posing my question because of how I framed it and because I don’t let others’ conduct put constraints on me in that way as that would be a slippery slope and I’d then be forbidden to post anything involving car crashes or things to do with guns … and would have to keep everything ridiculously PC and touchy-feely. On the other hand, I certainly draw a line about deliberately hurting people for the sake of being mean, as God Himself would punish me for that sort of thing…☹ My question (though framed maybe too apologetically) is a good one because it (harmlessly) invites one to go on a philosophical journey by reflecting on how far one “might” be willing to go in making an ultimate sacrifice by weighing it against the extraordinary good such an exchange could result in. Lastly, I’m pretty sure (after thinking about it for a bit) that I would go ahead and submit myself to such a thing … because THAT type of money would have a PROFOUND affect in bringing an end to a lot of suffering to people and other sentient beings that are in need of some serious relief in this strange and unpredictable world. Thanks to All for your fun and friendly comments!!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Willcross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Willcross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willcross)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/18 "2015-02-14T11:48:45Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > OP: Did you watch the video of the Jordanian pilot being burned alive? If you had, you’d never pose this as a “wild hypothetical question” with everything “on the up and up.” Unless you are a totally twisted human being. To expect people to \*voluntarily \*experience that kind of torture is beyond rationality. It’s been done voluntarily before with no money being involved. So I wouldn’t say it’s completely beyond rationality. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wild-hypothetical-question/712561/19 "2015-02-14T12:58:02Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Not just no, but hell no. +2 I have been burnt before. Trust me. NO.