I was watching a movie the other day about a Secret Service agent who dives and takes a bullet for a member of the Presidential family and I started to think; “Would I take a bullet for a family member or a really close friend?” Obviously, most would be more willing to take a bullet for a family member over a friend, but maybe some friends are just as special. This bullet, by the way, isn’t necessarily going to end up taking your life; just like a real situation, you won’t know where it will strike…You just must be willing to put your life on the line for this person. So I put it out to the teeming millions~ Would you take a bullet for a family member or close friend?
The problem is this is the type of thing that you do on impulse and not something that you sit around and consider all of the possibilities before doing it. If it were something you could think over even if you decided to do it you’d probably hesitate and mess the whole thing up.
I agree, except about how thinking about it may cause you to mess it up. What I was really curious about was to see if people really think that they would do it, and who they would do it for. I am well aware of the fact that should this predicament occur, one would act on impulse and not on pre-thought out conceptions. I can easily sit here todayand say I would do it, but if I was to really be in that situation, depending on my nerves at that time, who knows what may really happen? I just want to know if people believe that they would actually do it or not.
P.S. I now realize this should probably be in IMHO…
I am pretty sure that instinctively I’d shield my son from a bullet. I think I would for my husband, too, but it’s less of a sure thing because my self-preservation instinct might be stronger than I realize.
Well said, Cranky! That’s the kind of answer I’m looking for…
Polling belongs in IMHO. I’ll move it there.
bibliophage
moderator, GQ
Definitely for family members, especially my children or husband. Friends…not so sure. It’s difficult to decide which instinct would be stronger if I was in that situation - the instinct to live (thinking of my children here) or the instinct to protect. I can think of a couple of friends I might do that for, but for most of the situations, the instinct to survive for my children would probably outweigh the instinct to protect.
I would without a doubt dive in front of my husband to take a bullet for him. I say this not because I have thought it out and rationally decided that this would be the appropriate action to take, but because when we have been in safety-threatening situations (such as near car accidents, earthquakes, or in one memorable case, a phantom intruder we thought was lurking in the back yard), I have invariably moved to protect him before taking steps to protect myself. (Unfortunately, he does the same for me, so we usually wind up canceling each other out.)
Yep.
Fact is, I’d take a bullet for virtually anybody. I will not stand for anyone being victimized when I have the opportunity to help them.
That answer may be a little more broad than I’m sure you had expected, but it’s the way I am.
::shuffles towards Airman::
Mind if I stand here next to you? 
I can’t help remembering the Friends episode where Joey was willing to take a bullet for his sandwich. But to answer the question, I’d definitely take a bullet for a member of my immediate family, close friends and SO. Other than that, it would have to be on instinct and reflexes.
I don’t consider someone a friend if I’m not willing to take a bullet for them. I’m of the few-but-very-close-friends personality type as opposed to the many-friendly-acquaintances side of the axis, so that does help on cutting down on the number of chunks of lead to theoretically catch.
I’d much rather gun down someone who was about to shoot a friend instead, though. That would be much more comfortable.
I’m with Cranky. Would just automatically react to save China Bambina from any perceived threat of danger, including getting in front of a gun. To speak honestly, I would probably think and then act before doing the same for China Wife.
Yes I would. For my son or my cats. No-one else. Sorry.
hmmm… i think i’d take a bullet for my friends and maybe my parents… but NOT for my little sister. shut her up for once…
then again, i suppose i wouldn’t take a bullet for anyone, because i’m that sort of person. heh heh heh
Lisa: Mom, if someone shot at the mayor, would you have to throw yourself in front of him and take the bullet?
Marge: I suppose I would.
Bart: What if they shot at a Coke machine?
Marge: No.
Bart: TV?
Marge: No.
Bart: TV with a picture of the mayor on it?
I was thinking about this the other day for no particular reason. Oddly, it seemed to me that I’d be less likely to take a bullet for a family member than I would for a friend.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my family very much, and I have a great relationship with my sisters and parents. I don’t really understand why I’d rather risk death to protect a friend than a family member.
Wife and daughter? Instantly. Any of my sisters? In a blink. My mom? Absolutely. My dad? Nope: I’d be getting in his line-of-fire. My sisters-in-law? Yup. My brothers? Probably not, unless they didn’t see it coming. They’re big guys and can take care of themselves. My brothers-in-law? Again, not unless they didn’t see it coming. They’re also big guys, capable of handling themselves.
Friends? Most likely. See “in-laws”, above.
Strange women? Maybe. Strange, pregnant women, or women with children present? Instantly. Strange men? Nope.
Yup. I would take a bullet for my fiancee in a heartbeat. It would be my final heartbeat, but a heartbeat none the less.
During the Watergate scandal, G. Gordon Liddy offered to have himself assasinated as part of some scheme to take the heat off Nixon.
He was a bit nuts. But the type of nut that you wouldn’t mind having in your foxhole.
Mrs. Sasquatch, and no one else.
I’m pretty sure I would take a bullet (or risk taking one) for any young child, my own children being a priority in extremis of course.