# Would you sacrafice yourself? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 7, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393 "2005-03-07T17:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/1 "2005-03-07T17:42:14Z")
If you were married, had two kids, and someone put a gun to a strange childs head and said, “I kill him, or you”. Would you sacrafice yourself? I would think most people wouldnt, I mean you have a familiy of your own. I wouldnt want my kids growing up without a father. But then the question becomes, How many people would it take for you to sacrafice yourself? 5, 10? 100? Is there any number that would impell you to do so? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/2 "2005-03-07T18:32:57Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > Is there any number that would impell you to do so? -1. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/3 "2005-03-07T18:39:41Z")
I wouldn’t _let_ someone kill me for any number of people. What I may do is risk my life to attack the assailant to attempt to save lives, but that would be dependant on the situation and my perceived chance of success and the importance of the hostage(s) to me. ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/4 "2005-03-07T18:46:38Z")
> [@lno](#): > > -1. Now who do you want to take with you? 😉 Don’t ruin the thread with your cool, hard logic **Who\_me?**. It simply a scenario designed to gauge your sacrificial limits. I’d die for the kid, even if I had kids of my own. But then I can think of much less I’d die for. For those who are thinking “What an idiot. He’d leave his kids fatherless.” Imagine being the father of the child who had to die so you, an adult could live. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/5 "2005-03-07T20:50:49Z")
> [@nocturnal\_tick](#): > > Now who do you want to take with you? 😉 Oh, the options I have. I’d have to think about that for a bit. Actually, that’s a bit of an interesting question - if you could push a button and cause a specific person in the world to die at that moment, but you would die yourself, would you use it? If so, who would you pick? ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/6 "2005-03-07T21:06:18Z")
> [@](#): > > if you could push a button and cause a specific person in the world to die at that moment, but you would die yourself, would you use it? If so, who would you pick? hmm…thats a toughie! I would want my death to mean something and what single person in the world is really causing that much damage that killing him would truly make a difference? Generally if you kill a bad guy, another is usually just waiting to take his place. Need to think on this one a bit more… ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/7 "2005-03-07T21:26:19Z")
I think I’d die before I’d let a child die, for pretty much the same reason as **nocturnal\_tick**. As for the button one, no, I couldn’t. Not because I wouldn’t think that my death was meaningless, but because I don’t think I could kill somebody that cold-blooded-ly. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/8 "2005-03-07T21:43:15Z")
Nope. But I’d make it my mission to track down and kill the son-of-a-bitch with the gun. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/9 "2005-03-07T21:55:38Z")
Someone who gives you a “choice” like that is probably going to kill both of you anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/10 "2005-03-07T22:10:42Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > Someone who gives you a “choice” like that is probably going to kill both of you anyway. This is what I was thinking. So obviously, you have to try to take the guy out, knowing you are going to die. If we are sticking to the OP in the strictest sense, then I would say yes, I would sacrifice myself for someone else, even a stranger. My personal beliefs tell me that self sacrifice is the ultimate way to live, so I would hope when the time came, I would have the bravery required. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/11 "2005-03-07T22:11:17Z")
I’d wait for the Giant Squid to eat the gunman. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/12 "2005-03-07T22:18:03Z")
> [@](#): > > I’d wait for the Giant Squid to eat the gunman. thanks Bippy! for some reason this just made me laugh. Oh, and any passing mods, if you would be so kind to correct my spelling of sacrifice I would appreciate it! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/13 "2005-03-07T22:18:16Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > If you were married, had two kids, and someone put a gun to a strange childs head and said, “I kill him, or you”. “Whatever… I don’t even know him” > [@lno](#): > > Actually, that’s a bit of an interesting question - if you could push a button and cause a specific person in the world to die at that moment, but you would die yourself, would you use it? If so, who would you pick? Ok easy Rod Serling. We all know that the next jerk who gets the button will cause US to die! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/14 "2005-03-07T22:21:48Z")
Sry…I misread your post. Your button doesn’t even make any sense. This is a silly OP. Maybe a better question is how many people are you willing to kill to stay alive? Say you were defending a village from being overrun by the enemy (pick whatever enemy you like - Viet Kong, terrorists, Liberals, whatever)? Would there be a limit to the amount of death you would be willing to wield to defend yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/15 "2005-03-07T22:24:40Z")
To answer the OP’s first Q, no, not for a stranger’s child in the scenario described. I’d sacrifice myself for my nephew in that scenario though. For a more general situation, say a child in peril, I’d like to think I’d risk more than the typical person - after all, I have no dependents, there are few who will miss me, and fewer who will mourn - but I earnestly hope that the situation never arises. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/16 "2005-03-07T22:25:16Z")
This thread is better suited for [**In My Humble Opinion**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=12). I’ll move it for you. **Cajun Man** for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/17 "2005-03-07T22:32:41Z")
If someone had a gun to my husband, and offered a choice, I’d sacrafice myself. Purely selfish reasons. I don’t think I could live without him anyway, but I especially couldn’t live with myself if I knew I could prevent his death. That seems a fate much worse than death. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/18 "2005-03-07T23:04:59Z")
Realistically, no. While I’m rather fearless in situations that might cause me physical pain, I tend to be a wuss in any situation where my possible death is involved. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/19 "2005-03-07T23:33:31Z")
I’d aim for the gunman’s head, take him out with one shot, save the kid, go out for pizza afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393/20 "2005-03-07T23:36:43Z")
There seems to be an assumption implicit in the OP that I reject; namely that I would bear some responsibility for the death of the child. It is the gunman who is making the threat and by so doing is committing extortion. There is no way, in my mind, to view my compliance or non-compliance as a moral act. If he kills the child he is 100% at fault. I see this as totally different from risking my life to save a child who is a stranger to me, or even knowingly sacrificing my life that way. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sacrafice-yourself/293393.md?page=2)