# You're beseiged by a merciless, sadistic enemy. Do you fight to the last, or take your own life? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267 "2015-09-14T21:28:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/81 "2015-09-17T00:26:44Z")
The outcome is the same: death. The siucide or fight choice only lets us choose which route we want to take to that outcome. There is no convincing evidence of any kind of afterlife. I am certain enough that there is none that I do not base any decisions on the possibility of such. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/82 "2015-09-17T02:31:53Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The outcome is the same: death. The siucide or fight choice only lets us choose which route we want to take to that outcome. > > There is no convincing evidence of any kind of afterlife. I am certain enough that there is none that I do not base any decisions on the possibility of such. YMMV. My problem with your statement was epistemological. I agree that making plans based on the existence of heaven, hell, and so forth is foolish; I just don’t think your degree of certainty is warranted. Anyway, death is the ultimate outcome of EVERY choice we make. We can’t avoid it, but we can avoid or minimize pain. Choosing a less painful suicide over a torturous murder, when death is imminent either way, is not irrational or even necessarily cowardly. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/83 "2015-09-17T02:53:24Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > A question for the ‘any life is better than any death’ types: > > You are standing beside the bed containing the withered, pain-wracked body of a person you loved. > Everything that made that person a sentient human is gone. It does not show any sign of recognition of faces or voices or names. > The merciful thing would be to pull out a pistol and put a bullet into its medulla. > > If you do so in the US, you will be charged with Murder in the First Degree. Punishable by death. > > Discuss. You know you can start your own thread, right? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/84 "2015-09-17T09:39:24Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Anyway, death is the ultimate outcome of EVERY choice we make. We can’t avoid it, but we can avoid or minimize pain. Choosing a less painful suicide over a torturous murder, when death is imminent either way, is not irrational or even necessarily cowardly. Gee, I wish I had said that. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/85 "2015-09-17T15:08:33Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Gee, I wish I had said that. Don’t make me pelt you with strawberries, elf. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/86 "2015-09-17T15:10:50Z")
Fight in such a way as to ensure your death in combat. Remember in Serenity where that woman kept a bullet for herself when the Reavers broke in, and they got her anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/87 "2015-09-17T17:06:28Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Fight in such a way as to ensure your death in combat. > > Remember in Serenity where that woman kept a bullet for herself when the Reavers broke in, and they got her anyway? In the first place, “that woman” was portrayed by the wonderful Sarah Paulsen, whom you WILL speak of with respect–nay, worship-unless you wish to be pelted with strawberries. Also, anyone who points out that I misspelled her last name will be blueberried regardless. In the second place, that chick in _Serenity_ died because she waited too long. Common rookie mistake. My great-great-great-great-great-great–great aunt Lythande died the same way, only it was that murderous slaver John Newton who got her. That’s why even the most religious of Rhymers refuse to sing “Amazing Grace.” There’s no third place. Or rather I didn’t make a note of it. Something about [Iron Man](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=768931). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/88 "2015-09-17T17:09:17Z")
Oh, I GET IT! This is all a metaphor for cancer (or similar) death! Symbolism is for smart-asses too lazy to write a proper narrative. ::runs for very life:: ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/89 "2015-09-17T17:12:20Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Oh, I GET IT! This is all a metaphor for cancer (or similar) death! Fuck that noise. Symbolism is for elves and Czechoslovakians. If I wanted to write about cancer, I would have written about cancer. > [@](#): > > Symbolism is for smart-asses too lazy to write a proper narrative. > > ::runs for very life:: I’d think you’d have removed the subdermal tracking implant first. It’s not like it’s set to explode if exposed to air or anything. Anyway, have fun with the spiders. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/90 "2015-09-17T17:16:26Z")
Neither. I’ve lived as a coward, and I will die as a coward, hiding and trembling in fear until I’m found and I can begin begging for mercy. And I can be very, very pitiful. That will teach’em. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/91 "2015-09-17T17:18:27Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Fuck that noise. Symbolism is for elves and Czechoslovakians. If I wanted to write about cancer, I would have written about cancer. > > I’d think you’d have removed the subdermal tracking implant first. It’s not like it’s set to explode if exposed to air or anything. Anyway, have fun with the spiders. Spiders? Again? _Really?_ Look, I know that as a highly skilled, but amoral, drifter it really isn’t my place to tell you how to do your supervillaining; but, dude, spiders are _so_ last week. Luthor, Doom, No, and the other kewl kids have moved on to nanotech-enhanced attack marmots. You want to be the SDMB’s Paste Pot Pete, you go right ahead with the spiders… ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/92 "2015-09-17T21:48:31Z")
Suicide for me, provided that 1. I had the actual courage to do it and 2. I was convinced there was really no way out. I’d kill in an us-or-them situation, but I don’t believe that killing more people would somehow make the situation better. Perhaps this is fighting the hypothetical a little, but I don’t really believe there are tribes or groups of completely sadistic people with no other (potential) qualities at all. Even if this tribe or whatever were truly evilly bad nasties, killing more or them would only piss them off and set them off on more murdering rampages to make others pay for killing _their_ besties. In short, I don’t believe in revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267/93 "2015-09-18T01:26:09Z")
I’d poison the well and take some of the evil sadistic cannibalistic enemy with me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-beseiged-by-a-merciless-sadistic-enemy-do-you-fight-to-the-last-or-take-your-own-life/731267.md?page=4)