# Would you take a bullet for your SO? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660 "2013-10-08T05:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/1 "2013-10-08T05:47:04Z")
Would you take a bullet for your significant other? Specifically, a .50 caliber hollow point? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/2 "2013-10-08T06:01:05Z")
No. She doesn’t even own a pistol, what is she supposed to do with heavy machine gun ammo ? ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/3 "2013-10-08T06:34:19Z")
A .50 hollow point would be a [pistol cartridge](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.500_S%26W_Magnum), not a [.50BMG](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50_BMG). Yes, I would take a bullet for my wife. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/4 "2013-10-08T07:01:25Z")
Of course I’d take a bullet for my partner, but I’d be concerned about the pain I’d be causing him. We have discussed our mortality (especially mine, since I’m 20 years older), and each of us would take the other’s death very hard. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/5 "2013-10-08T07:05:59Z")
Yes. I’d take a bullet for my wife. Imagine how sweet life would be for me after that… “Yeah, well we could go to your relatives this weekend, or you could go by yourself and let me go sailing. Not that any of your relatives have ever taken a bullet for you though…” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/6 "2013-10-08T07:34:38Z")
Without hesitation. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/7 "2013-10-08T09:27:52Z")
Yes, It’s sort of in the contract isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/8 "2013-10-08T11:29:52Z")
Yes, without hesitation. But the nobility of that gesture is somewhat diluted by my suicidal depression, since I’d be talking the bullet out of selfishness. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/9 "2013-10-08T11:33:32Z")
I don’t know, and I don’t think anyone else knows either. I know what I envision myself doing in various situations, but I am not sure I would live up to my ideals. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/10 "2013-10-08T11:43:24Z")
Wouldn’t it be better to (a) first try to get both of us the hell out of the bullet’s way and (b) do whatever is necessary to kill the SOB who’s shooting at us? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/11 "2013-10-08T11:44:08Z")
I’d say this is one of those “what would you do?” questions that no one can _actually_ answer unless it’s already happened to them - like what you would do if you found yourself in the middle of a bank robbery, or if someone began to sexually assault you, or if someone crazy (but unarmed) flipped out in a crowded place and started attacking random people. What we think we should do, what we would like to do, what we think we would do and what we would actually do aren’t always (or even often?) the same things. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/12 "2013-10-08T12:06:05Z")
Of course. It would be the less painful option. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/13 "2013-10-08T12:08:51Z")
Sure. Of course, after the year I’ve had I’d take a bullet for the OP and I don’t even know them. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/14 "2013-10-08T12:22:36Z")
Sure, unless she’s the one that fired it. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/15 "2013-10-08T12:27:52Z")
Obviously, I don’t really know. But the logical answer would be no. I have a daughter who will need care well into adulthood and she is my priority. My daughter’s not my GF’s child (we got together when my daughter was 13), and my GF would not be willing or able to look after her; I have nobody else who could step in and even if they could, it wouldn’t work very well because my daughter seems to respond only to me. However, if I saw a bullet coming, my desire to protect my GF might well override logic. I really want her to live. This is all assuming your mentioning of the caliber means death is very likely. If mere disability were the outcome, I’d take the bullet - I’m already a bit disabled anyway, so why have two of us who can’t walk around easily? I also heal unusually well from injuries and am kinda used to having health problems, so it would be more same-old, same-old for me, whereas it would be great if my GF never had to become like that. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/16 "2013-10-08T12:29:46Z")
Yes, or my daughter, or my grandson. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/17 "2013-10-08T12:46:46Z")
Yes. The family benefits more if I take the bullet. Life insurance would pay off (a very large amount), and if I didn’t die from it, I’ve great disability and pay benefits thru work to see me through recovery, plus if I can’t work again, I get a generous payout. So the family would be set for the duration, with her administering the financial pile, and helping the kids. If she buys it, I have to keep working to hold it all together. No significant financial payout from her death, she doesn’t work outside the home. 60+ hours a week to maintain our lifestyle. And I expect her to live into her 90’s, like her grandmother, great-grandmother, g-g-grandma and earlier female lineage types did. I will probably not make it out of my 60’s based on family history alone. So to better benefit my genes, I take the bullet. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/18 "2013-10-08T12:49:22Z")
Yup, for my husband. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/19 "2013-10-08T13:21:19Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Yes, or my daughter, or my grandson. Very different propositions, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660/20 "2013-10-08T13:49:17Z")
If we are being honest here… In a split second decision, yes I would If I had time to think about it, I would waiver and am not sure However if it was for my 3 year old who has yet to live her life, I would almost welcome it to ensure her safety. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-a-bullet-for-your-so/670660.md?page=2)