# Could you kill a man? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720 "2010-08-27T21:44:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/41 "2010-08-28T05:24:13Z")
As a gun owner, I would have no problem \*stopping \*someone who tries to harm me or my family members. I will \*stop \*the threat using firepower. Any death is incidental. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/42 "2010-08-28T05:44:02Z")
To be honest, of course, I don’t actually _know_ for certain, as it’s (thankfully) never been an issue for me in real life, but I don’t have any special moral or emotional problem with it, gut-wise. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/43 "2010-08-28T05:56:04Z")
I \*\*\*stop \*\*\*myself from killing people every damned day. It’s kind of exhausting, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/44 "2010-08-28T06:04:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I couldn’t do it for _any_ reason. I find that hard to believe. Would you not fight to save your life? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/45 "2010-08-28T06:18:03Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > If you can punch a man, you can kill him. Please expand on that. Do you mean a punch could be potentially lethal? Or that inflicting any physical harm indicates the capacity to kill? Or something else? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/46 "2010-08-28T06:22:48Z")
I’d be pretty shitty at my job if I couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/47 "2010-08-28T07:42:30Z")
Yes, there are a lot of living people today 'cause in my case the death penalty for me is a deterrent 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/48 "2010-08-28T07:59:06Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’ve got a list. > 🙂 Santa Claus von Bülow? ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/49 "2010-08-28T10:17:46Z")
Am I supposed to ignore the consequences of the action? I would never kill anyone for revenge, money, protecting others, or even a battle situation unless it was REALLY clear-cut. But not because I’m not “capable” of it, but because even a very small chance of ending up on trial for murder isn’t worth it for anything less than saving my own life in the first place. And I would have to be really sure it was my only option. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/50 "2010-08-28T10:41:57Z")
I surprised myself a few years ago by running down the street naked armed with a kukri in pursuit of someone who burgled my house while I was in it. If I’d have caught him I have no idea what I’d have done. So with reservations I have voted yes to all but ‘other’. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/51 "2010-08-28T12:36:21Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > It depends on how much room I have left under my floorboards. Crawlspaces are so old fashioned, may I introduce you to a [friend](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb_ASvkFeOY) of mine? CMC fnord! All the yeses, but for #4 substitute; life of a stranger, idiot trying to rob the store I’m shopping in, I.E. any life threatening situation that escalates to the point that no lesser means\* at hand works. - Don’t try to rob the guy with a big piece of “[wood](http://www.coldsteel.com/irishblackthorn.html)”/[steel](http://www.asp-net.com/bookpages/catalog_2009.html) already in his hand … with a knife! ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/52 "2010-08-28T12:47:31Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > > > If you can punch a man, you can kill him. > > Please expand on that. Do you mean a punch could be potentially lethal? Or that inflicting any physical harm indicates the capacity to kill? Or something else? I think the idea is that if you’re capable of being pushed to fighting you’re capable of (perhaps accidentally) killing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Walking\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@The\_Walking\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Walking_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/53 "2010-08-28T12:58:48Z")
Hell, I’ll kill a man in a fair fight… or if I think he’s gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there’s a woman, or if I’m gettin’ paid - mostly only when I’m gettin’ paid. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/54 "2010-08-28T13:02:10Z")
> [@The\_Walking\_Dude](#): > > Hell, I’ll kill a man in a fair fight… or if I think he’s gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there’s a woman, or if I’m gettin’ paid - mostly only when I’m gettin’ paid. It had to be the LAST post :::::shakes fist:::::: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/55 "2010-08-28T14:34:48Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > …if you’re capable of being pushed to fighting you’re capable of (perhaps accidentally) killing. I was understanding the question to be, could you _choose_ to kill a person, not is it _possible_ that any of your actions could _ever_ result in a death. People who answer “no” to the latter just haven’t thought about it enough. I’m pretty sure that every single respondent here is capable of accidentally killing someone under some circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/56 "2010-08-28T15:12:37Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > …if you’re capable of being pushed to fighting you’re capable of (perhaps accidentally) killing. > > I was understanding the question to be, could you _choose_ to kill a person, not is it _possible_ that any of your actions could _ever_ result in a death. People who answer “no” to the latter just haven’t thought about it enough. I’m pretty sure that every single respondent here is capable of accidentally killing someone under some circumstances. I don’t think he was talking about just undertaking some hypothetical action that could somehow result in someone dying. I think he meant, specifically, actually _killing_ someone, as in, violently. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/57 "2010-08-28T15:24:45Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I think he meant, specifically, actually _killing_ someone, as in, violently. Like running them over with a car? Including _accidents_ seems to make the question a lot less meaningful and interesting. I answered the question with the understanding that it was a question about decisions, not results. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/58 "2010-08-28T15:28:56Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > I think he meant, specifically, actually _killing_ someone, as in, violently. > > Like running them over with a car? > > Including _accidents_ seems to make the question a lot less meaningful and interesting. I answered the question with the understanding that it was a question about decisions, not results. Like beating them to death in a fight. And I answered the question the same way you did. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/59 "2010-08-28T15:48:56Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Like beating them to death in a fight. Okay, _beating someone to death_ is functionally deciding to kill them, even if one doesn’t consciously “mean” to kill them. On the other hand, landing a punch that causes somebody to slip and hit their head and die, isn’t. I would call that an accident in a sense that the first is not. On looking again at **Chessic** ’s comment, though, I don’t think it’s really about either of those scenarios. > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Let’s just say it’s easier than you’d think. I know a lot of guys with PTSD from living under constant threat of death. I don’t know any that have PTSD, or hell, even a hang-up from shooting somebody. > > If you can punch a man, you can kill him. That sounds to me more like a statement that if you’re capable of initiating violence against another human being at all–you’re capable at some point of _deciding_ to kill them. But I’ll leave it to him to explain what he in fact meant, if he likes. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720/60 "2010-08-28T16:19:09Z")
I’d have trouble killing somebody with a knife or a lead pipe or fists, since I just don’t get that angry. But give me a gun (or ICBM launch button or unmanned drone controls) and sure, I’d do it in cold blood. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-kill-a-man/551720.md?page=4)