Could you kill a person?

[SckizoBoy]

I think everyone's capable of killing, given sufficient duress, even the most defiant of pacifists could be brought around to kill.

However, whether one can kill or not is neither here nor there. The question(s) you should ask is: how would you react after you have killed another human? How would you react after a week? How would you react after a month? How would you react after a year? Or rather, how do you deal with the emotional maelstrom that comes with knowledge that you've ended a human life (from your own volition or otherwise)?

And unless the answer is: I honestly don't know (to any of them), then the person's either a fucking liar or a bloody idiot (selected military/law-enforcement personnel, murderers, perpetrators of manslaughter etc. notwithstanding).

So to answer, yes, I'm perfectly capable of killing and would do so if circumstances necessitated it without contradicting my belief of how I should live my life.

How I'd be living after the event is purely up for conjecture, but I can tell you that I'd probably be in the gutter for at least a few years.

 

[Panorama]

I might be able to kill someone physically but it would drive me insane after i had done it with guilt and probably go and hang myself.

 

[weker]

Yep I think I could switch off all my moral obligations in a moments notice but only if the situation that i needed to would arise.

 

[SecretsOfMoon]

Yes, murder is actually on my bucket-list.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Sure.
I can assume if I am killing this guy it is for a reason. Like he is trying to kill me or is some sort of evil maniac or something.

If we are just pointed to a dude and told "kill him" then no, fuck that, why would I. If it is like "kill this complete stranger or die" then why kill that guy, he never did anything to you. Kill the dude forcing you to make the choice.

When we leave questions vague like this everyone starts extrapolating and then we are all defenders of justice.

 

[Saltyk]

If we're talking about a kill or be killed situation, then yes, I could. Assuming the person I'm killing is trying to kill me. If you tell me that person X will kill me if I don't kill person B, that would be far more difficult. I'd much rather kill person X.

If you're asking me to kill for no reason, than no. I wouldn't kill some random person just because. I couldn't even kick a dying deer after I hit it in my car (it just looked too pathetic).

Although I'm a pacifist If someone tried to kill me I wouldn't think for a second. I would kill him.

It's a little hard to answer this question. It's easy to talk, but it's something completely diffrent to be in that situation.

No offense, but you may be the first sane pacifist I've ever seen. Literally every person I've ever known to claim being a pacifist would say that they wouldn't fight even in self defense. "Violence is never the answer" and all that.

Then again, maybe I've only seen extremist pacifists, and anytime a person is an extremist in anything, you should disregard everything they say.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

maybe if someone did something like rape my sister or mother.

 

[Magicmad5511]

Well...I possibly could if forced, like if they were trying to kill me. I think psychologically I would still have issues. I might have to set up some kind of alter ego, anything to protect my sanity. Overall I would only kill if I had a very good reason. Incapacitation is always the best option and if you can kill them there is also a high chance you could stop at knocking them unconscious.
I would hope the person I killed was a proper scumbag with no family and only doing whatever caused this for greed and not to support a family or something. I don't think I could cope with that sort of hatred and guilt.

 

[Kiardras]

If they need killing, yes without a second thought. If they don't need killing, then I wouldn't do it.

 

[Korak the Mad]

I am capable of killing a person, and I should know, becease I tried.

When I was little I had to take Ritalin to keep me focused, but there was a side effect, I had a horrible temper. I was incredibly impatient and very quick to piss off. There were periods when I went absolutely berserk, and I would not remember anything because I would black out during the episode.

When I was in third grade, there was an incident in which I did go berserk, but I vaguely remember what I did. I was in the after school program getting ready to leave, I was in horrible mood, more so than I usually was, and a girl insults me. I don't remember what she said but it was the straw that broke camel's back. As soon as she said it I whipped around and proceded to try and strangle her, with a pipe cleaner that was lying around. I got dragged away by the councelors, and was immediately taken off the Ritalin.

After taking me off it I have become a much more patient, kind, compassionate person.

I try not to get angry, because I know what I'm capable of.

 

[Kaisar]

They say you change after killing a person no matter what the circumstances. It is the ones that show no outer effects that are the truly evil ones. I could do. There are people in this world that are already dead, they just don't know it, and I could easily fix their living "issue". People that rape others. Anyone that harms a child in anyway. These people are already dead inside. Why not make the outside match? It would be doing them and everyone else in the world a favor.

 

[Pyroguekenesis]

"accidentally" perhaps not so maybe yet so.

 

[Dogstile]

Well...I possibly could if forced, like if they were trying to kill me. I think psychologically I would still have issues. I might have to set up some kind of alter ego, anything to protect my sanity. Overall I would only kill if I had a very good reason. Incapacitation is always the best option and if you can kill them there is also a high chance you could stop at knocking them unconscious.

Common misconception. If you actually manage to knock someone out there is a chance you've also caused enough physical trauma to kill them if they don't get themselves checked out. Its actually rather hard to knock people out, why do you think whenever you see a fight it always ends with one person on the floor curled up hurting rather than just out?

OP:

I think I could. Don't see why I wouldn't be able to, its just life. Its not exactly sacred to me. If you've put yourself in a position where I would even consider ending your life, then I don't think I would care about doing so.

Of course, nobody really knows. None of us here have done it... have we?

 

[MichaelMaverick]

The moral aspect alone doesn't really bother me. My body would react with anxiety and restlessness for some time after doing it, since I'm a particularly weak person, but I'd get over it soon. If in self-defense, I don't hold my life dear so I could just let myself get killed, though it's impossible to rationalize such things. I'd probably act out of a sense of self-preservation, especially so if I found some additional reasons to stay alive.
If I was at liberty to choose to kill someone for personal gain and there was a 100% chance I'd succeed and get away with it for good (though that can never be the case, realistically), I'd definitely do it.
I wouldn't kill anyone based on emotions or ideology, and I'd want for the people to die as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

 

[Estarc]

I can easily see myself killing someone, if I had sufficient motivation. That motivation could come in various forms, such as a desire to protect my loved ones, immense personal gain, or even a desire to punish someone who I deem to be evil.

That said, I've never actually been in that situation, and as they say, talk is cheap.

 

[Mr Thin]

When I start thinking about how I would do it I get all squeamish and uncomfortable; I'm not comfortable with violence.

But the concept - that is, the idea of taking a life - doesn't trouble me. I suppose it's a good thing that society has instilled within us the idea that it's some huge consequential occurrence; but I think if it actually happened, it would be like "poof, done, that was underwhelming".

I mean, you know, life goes on and all that.

 

[Sigma Van Lockheart]

Yes i could give me a gun or a nice sharp thing and i will give you a dead body and i could live with it too when it comes to morales im not the best person to go to. Oh and if anything was to happen to my girlfriend there is not a power in the verse that could stop me from killing the person who done it.

 

[WanderingFool]

I think that under thew right circumstanses (which, mind you, is a bad thing), almost anybody is capable of killing someone. Would I do it, cant say. There is a maybe, if the situation presents itself in a way that I have no other choice than ned someone elses life, or let my own end. But unless I get drafted into the military, the chances of that situation are far less likely.

But, I would possibly end a life to save my own, selfish, yes. But I think all humans are by nature selfish, there is just varying degrees of it.

 

[Ghengis John]

Yes, murder is actually on my bucket-list.

Make sure to start with political radio show hosts. Please.

 

[Andalusa]

I could seriously injure someone without a second thought, but I don't think I could kill someone. I feel really sad if I see someone squish an insect or see a dead animal at the side of the road. Sure, some people deserve to not be alive any more because they've done horrible things, but I would prefer if someone else did the killing.