# Would you sell your Soul? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192 "2016-01-15T04:06:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/1 "2016-01-15T04:06:04Z")
I understand that most of people here are Christian, while I am Jewish. Yet like Pascal’s Wager, this can be a universal question. If you had a chance to give up your soul to eternal suffering for a temporary benefit, would you? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/2 "2016-01-15T04:13:13Z")
Yes, for one dose of tobacco. Menthol, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/3 "2016-01-15T04:13:54Z")
Nope. I’m an atheist, but I have a Theatre degree - I’ve read Dr. Faustus, it never ends well! ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/4 "2016-01-15T04:14:49Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Yes, for one dose of tobacco. Menthol, tho. No one will say that seriously. The terrible fact is that some addicts would give up everything for the last dose. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/5 "2016-01-15T04:18:03Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > No one will say that seriously. The terrible fact is that some addicts would give up everything for the last dose. Newport addicts included. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/6 "2016-01-15T04:29:45Z")
If anyone wants to be considered a hero, they could say that they will use most of the money to help others. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/7 "2016-01-15T04:29:46Z")
I’m going to say never. I’m not religious and don’t believe in heaven or hell but I do have a tad of wariness about the supernatural. If someone wants to trade me favours, and they’re able to deliver on that, in exchange for my soul, then my logic says if they’re able to deliver on the favours they may just be able to take my soul. I’m not even sure what that entails but I’ll skip it. thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/8 "2016-01-15T04:31:21Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > If someone wants to trade me favors, and they’re able to deliver on that, in exchange for my soul, then my logic says if they’re able to deliver on the favors they may just be able to take my soul. From many philosophical perspectives, you are right. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/9 "2016-01-15T04:43:30Z")
nm. Should’ve read the op better. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/10 "2016-01-15T04:44:35Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Depends on who was buying it! In thousands of Classical works anyone who sells their soul will suffer for eternity. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/11 "2016-01-15T04:45:03Z")
No. As I don’t believe I have a soul, I can’t give it up for money. That would be acting in bad faith. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/12 "2016-01-15T04:47:18Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > No. > As I don’t believe I have a soul, I can’t give it up for money. That would be acting in bad faith. If you do not believe in eternal punishment, why would you act in good faith? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/13 "2016-01-15T04:52:35Z")
No, but I’ve been known to rent it. Had a job that made me feel like I needed showers for the soul, or maybe a Jesuit with an exorcism license as a confessor. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/14 "2016-01-15T04:58:43Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > If you do not believe in eternal punishment, why would you act in good faith? Virtue is its own reward. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/15 "2016-01-15T04:59:13Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Virtue is its own reward. How so? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/16 "2016-01-15T05:00:46Z")
Only rarely does one find a story in which one sells one’s soul to the devil and then defeats the devil to regain one’s soul at the end. See: (1) [_The Devil and Daniel Webster_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_and_Daniel_Webster) by Stephen Vincent Benét. (2) _Damn Yankees_. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/17 "2016-01-15T05:02:34Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Only rarely does one find a story in which one sells one’s soul to the devil and then defeats the devil to regain one’s soul at the end. In most cases it is the other way around – a person sells their soul for $1 trillion, but instead of a trillion just gets the last dose of drug. Anyone who takes heroin just one time is really in such situation. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/18 "2016-01-15T05:08:03Z")
Hell - it’s hard for me to pick out what breakfast cereal to buy. Selling or not selling my soul is way too far out of my decision making wheelhouse. So no. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/19 "2016-01-15T05:15:06Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > How so? I guess it has something to do with conscience, and the moral values your parents taught you as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192/20 "2016-01-15T05:15:18Z")
Hell yeah! And after you buy my soul I got some prime swampland down in Florida and a bridge up in Brooklyn, I can let you have them both real cheap. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-sell-your-soul/743192.md?page=2)