Child Death

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Because they still have their whole lives ahead of them.
An adult would already have experienced things but a child has not.

 

[Marter]

Ah yes but in your example they aren't 'missing out' because PVR is something they will likely never use. Being able to fully experience life is something that a child will have as they grow older. My view is partly inspired by the old phrase that it is 'better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all' except of course in this instance love is simply substituted for life as a whole. In other words it could be said similarly that it's better to have lived and lost than to have never lived at all.

Also may I add that it's meaningful debates such as these that are why I love The Escapist.

I think they are missing out though. A PVR would greatly improve their lives, as they would be able to record shows far more easily, and in higher quality.

The phrase you quoted doesn't apply in this situation I feel, as it applies to an adult, who is aware of what love is, and just never got to experience it. In the case of a young child, they wouldn't be able to understand life, or have the experience of true happiness.

I love The Escapist for this reason as well.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I don't care about dead children or dead adults unless they're related to me, not to be cold, but there's nothing I can do for any of them.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

They didn't have a chance to live. When you're 30-50 it's definitely sad, but they had a chance to do at least some of what they wanted to do. When a 5 year old dies, they never really had a chance to grow up, have friends, get married, have a career, make long term goals and then reaching them, and never understood what life was like.

 

[bobknowsall]

I can understand where you're coming from, and I think the loss of a life is terrible, regardless of whether or not they're a child or an adult. But I think that people just tend to think that the death of an innocent child is worse than that of a disiullusioned adult. It's like harsh reality has no right to impinge on their innocence, or some nonsense like that.

Looking at it in a purely technical and logical, it's also a waste of the time, resources and physical discomfort that went into the child's development. There has been no chance for that "investment" (To use a rather detached term) to come to fruition, whereas an adult has made some use of their time on the planet.

I'm also of the opinion that death at any level is horrible. I guess I just come from a far too logical approach to think that a child's death should be considered worse.

Well, I guess it's just the human protective instinct at work, for the most part. We're supposed o want to protect kids; it's in our genetic programming.

Doesn't mean that it bows to logic, though.

 

[Rasputin1]

I suppose if you think at it logically, a childs death is no more saddening or hurtful than an adults death. But sometimes logic just doesn't work.

 

[Marter]

I suppose if you think at it logically, a childs death is no more saddening or hurtful than an adults death. But sometimes logic just doesn't work.

I really like logic though. This is why I asked for reasons behind it, because apart from their potential, I couldn't think of any.

 

[Aesir23]

Logically, a child's death is no more important, or less, than an adults death. However, emotionally it is sadder because we see the lost potential or the what could have been.

There's not much more to say other than this. We see what could have been, and probably because it's just sad to see a life cut so short than it is for someone who is 30+ years of age who has seen a bit of what life has to offer.

 

[Darzen]

Because they're tastier than adults and their deaths mean they stop tenderizing early thus leaving them near inedible.

 

[Kroker]

I think they are missing out though. A PVR would greatly improve their lives, as they would be able to record shows far more easily, and in higher quality.

The phrase you quoted doesn't apply in this situation I feel, as it applies to an adult, who is aware of what love is, and just never got to experience it. In the case of a young child, they wouldn't be able to understand life, or have the experience of true happiness.

I love The Escapist for this reason as well.

Why yes I certainly understand your logic. I find it striking that two differing perspectives can be established from almost identical reasons. It just goes to show how a subject such as this can be controversial.

 

[Mattmayer]

It is because infants are normally seen as the preservation of mankind, so the loss of one is considered tragic.


Cheers,

Matt

 

[Rasputin1]

I suppose if you think at it logically, a childs death is no more saddening or hurtful than an adults death. But sometimes logic just doesn't work.

I really like logic though. This is why I asked for reasons behind it, because apart from their potential, I couldn't think of any.

I think their potential is the only 'reason' you can give to it.. It's a wasted life. Everyone has their highs, and their lows, but a lost child will get none of that.

 

[Maibus]

The death of children is more tragic because they've only just begun, their lives are full of potential and success, but adults have had their time, when they die they've had most of their chances acted on or lost entirely. Its tragic all the same, but viewed for tragic for the loss of what might have been instead of what was.

 

[astrav1]

Innocence.

 

[Marter]

The death of children is more tragic because they've only just begun, their lives are full of potential and success, but adults have had their time, when they die they've had most of their chances acted on or lost entirely. Its tragic all the same, but viewed for tragic for the loss of what might have been instead of what was.

They wouldn't be aware of that potential though. To them, nothing would really be lost, as their brain hasn't matured enough to be aware of it.

As far as potential goes, it is something often wasted. Adults who die could have happiness in their lives, and would actually lose something. They also could still do positive things in their lives, and have the same type of potential.

 

[Dr. Whiggs]

Christ, what a dumb question. Why the hell do you think? It's for the reasons everyone has told you.

Ass.

They wouldn't be aware of that potential though. To them, nothing would really be lost, as their brain hasn't matured enough to be aware of it.

As far as potential goes, it is something often wasted. Adults who die could have happiness in their lives, and would actually lose something. They also could still do positive things in their lives, and have the same type of potential.

Somebody shoots your dog. You are not entitled to be sad because the dog was unaware of its potential to be happy for the reminder of its life.

You're still an ass.

 

[SextusMaximus]

Because they're not expected to die. It's more sad if someone still has their whole life to live, then say, an 90 year old person.

But 90% of the time they'll be miserable... so it's nothing to get worked up about!

 

[Marter]

Christ, what a dumb question. Why the hell do you think? It's for the reasons everyone has told you.

Ass.

That's kind of uncalled for, don't you think?

 

[Dr. Whiggs]

Not even slightly. It was a staggeringly obvious question dressed in aggravating meme trappings.

 

[Maibus]

The death of children is more tragic because they've only just begun, their lives are full of potential and success, but adults have had their time, when they die they've had most of their chances acted on or lost entirely. Its tragic all the same, but viewed for tragic for the loss of what might have been instead of what was.

They wouldn't be aware of that potential though. To them, nothing would really be lost, as their brain hasn't matured enough to be aware of it.

As far as potential goes, it is something often wasted. Adults who die could have happiness in their lives, and would actually lose something. They also could still do positive things in their lives, and have the same type of potential.

I understand your point on this, but are any of us truly aware of our own death? We mourn the dead because they cannot mourn for themselves, I agree that a child isn't as fully aware of themselves and their possible future at their age, but their elders are and would be distressed at such a loss to say the least.