The obvious answer, of course, is the lives of your children…and while that’s an acceptable answer, what I’m really interested in is other possibilities. Is there anything or anyone you’d die to keep in existence? Is there anything or anyone whose destruction or death would so grieve you that you’d consider your life well spent in preventing it?
Sorry but the lives of my children are just about it.
However this idea can be expanded upon - for example, I would die to prevent a world wide plague or war that would undoubtedly leave my children a horrible world to live in, even if it didn’t necessarily kill them personally.
This reminds me of the commercial that’s on now (mom talking about her daughter who died young of a heart attack), and the same sentiment as it’s been repeated over the years: I’d give anything to have her back…even my own life. But then you wouldn’t have her back; the only reason we miss people is because they aren’t around us anymore. So dying because you would grieve their death doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Ideally I would give up my body’s life for the life of my soul but that’s probably not what you meant!
Well that is an ummm, special way of looking at it. Speaking as someone who has lost a child, just having them back alive would be all that matters. You don’t say that for purely selfish reasons. The fact that your child gets to live is all that matters whether you get to see it personally or not. I would be locked and tortured in a tower for the rest of my life if my daughter could live.
I take it you aren’t a parent.
I would say my wife and my grandchildren. I would not include my children, they are all adults and frankly I don’t think any of them would do a thing for me. My wife and grandkids are the most important people in my life at this time, it would be a small sacrifice on my part to die for them.
My parents…I would put my life in severe danger for them and they know that they only have to ask and I’ll give over however much money they want.
I know I would never have to “die” for them though…b/c the feelings are reciprocal and any situation in which it would be my life or theirs they would push me towards survival and sacrifice themselves. I guess the only way I could ever repay this type of love would be to be the same way towards my children.
I’ll also say that I have this same type of love for my sister but she’s married now and I figure the sacrificing is mostly going to be done by her husband.
My family. Particularly my husband, but not my cats.Probably my parents and his parents. My closest friends, too. Dunno about country.
I think your sig quote is by G. **K[/]. Chesterton.
The Monster isn’t my child, but I lived with her for her first five years of life, and parented her. Because of me, she’s into all sorts of odd foods, too. (5 yo gringo kids aren’t supposed to be going to the sushi part of the chinese buffet, apparantly.) Her I’d do most anything for.
As an abstract - I’d risk my life, willingly, doing such work as firefighting, and rescue. In fact I know I’d be terrible at it, because I did enough of it in the Military to know I forget to check how I can respond safely to situations. Not quite the same thing, but I certainly wouldn’t complain about going out trying to put out a fire, or trying to save someone from one.
My parents are both on 70 years old. Sure, they’re nice and all, and I care about them, but I have two small children. No way in hell I would sacrifice my life for either of them and leave my two kids fatherless. This may sound heartless, but it just wouldn’t be logical. Beyond my kids I can’t think of anything at this point.
Here’s something different - history is worth more to me than my life. If I was given the choice between dying and, say, having all copies of Plutarch everywhere in the world to self-destruct, I would choose dying.
Ditto on this. Not just history, but a couple classics come to mind as well.
The American constitution. Not the government, per se, because that implies loyalty to a certain set of people, a certain administration, etc. I wouldn’t give my life for any given president, but I like to think that if it somehow came down to “Either you or the ideas embodied in the Constitution die,” I’d sacrifice myself. Democracy, equality, liberty, all that good stuff.
My dignity (and probably the dignity of my children, even though I don’t have any yet) and independence. I would rather die than be in a situation where I’m dependent on someone else for everything, or even a few vital things, like going to the bathroom. I don’t mean this to offend any disabled people, but yeah, I think death would be better than extreme disability.
I like to think I’d die rather than deny my religion. But I’d be so very frightened. If I knew death would be quick the choice would be easier. But death by torture or something, who knows? I’m like the monk Brother Edward, in that one episode of Babylon 5, who wondered if he’d have the courage to stay in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing what was coming.
I have no children. But my nephews are wonderful boys, and I’d die to protect them, if that was the only option.
When I thought about this in the past, I cast the question as ‘What is my life worth?’ Sure, I’d die to protect my family, but I’d also risk my life if there was a greater chance of saving someone else’s life.
I’m sorry what I said caused you any pain. I won’t pursue the discussion because I certainly don’t want to reiterate anything that would hurt someone else. I’m truly sorry for your loss.
My 2 kids and my wife. My wife for the simple reason that my kids would suffer more without her than without me. The problem is that my wife would bear the brunt of the pain after I’m gone…or find that multimillionaire savior to rescue her while my body is still warm.
OK. Just the kids.
My wife’s life
Why? Because she is standing over my shoulder right now watching what I type and…
(ouch)
Actually, kids, then wife…dog…
Ditto. Very nicely put.
My honor.
By that I mean, if I sat back and watched something truly horrendous happen to another human and did nothing, I don’t think I go bear to live with myself.
Errr must preview.
That sentence should read “By that I mean, if I sat back and watched something truly horrendous happen to another human and did nothing, I don’t think I could bear to live with myself.”