Perhaps out of mercy. Illness does some terrifying things to a person, killing them to put an end to that misery is something I might do, and with a clear conscience.
Could you kill a person?
- Thread starter Sean Hollyman
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I could never kill someone for greed or personal gain, but if it meant defending myself or my family I absolutely could. And I don't think I'd feel guilty for a second.
I've never done it, since I live in Canada where the only things you could feel compelled to kill without some sort of serious criminal hobby (like bike theft or dealing off licence pharmaceuticals, this being banal-land) are four legged animals. Therefore all I can say about my abilities and capacity is conjecture, and from what I can see I lack the disregard for consequences enough to plan a murder, I'm too much of a wuss to physically defend myself and about the only moment I've been compelled to violence is to protect other people.
Thus I imagine in the event I stuck my nose into another person's violent beat down/rape -and- I got lucky, I could kill. But we're talking pretty selective circumstances and it would be like many murder cases, where the intent was just doling out violence without a plan to actually terminate other person. So basically in the unlikely event I got into a fight with someone I could win a fight with (doubtful) and somehow used excessive force (or had a luckily placed cement curb). I don't think I'd feel that guilty unless I thought the violent person had extenuating circumstances like a mental health condition.
Thus I imagine in the event I stuck my nose into another person's violent beat down/rape -and- I got lucky, I could kill. But we're talking pretty selective circumstances and it would be like many murder cases, where the intent was just doling out violence without a plan to actually terminate other person. So basically in the unlikely event I got into a fight with someone I could win a fight with (doubtful) and somehow used excessive force (or had a luckily placed cement curb). I don't think I'd feel that guilty unless I thought the violent person had extenuating circumstances like a mental health condition.
Physically? Im 280lbs, 6'2, and could easily heave anyone i dont like off of a nice tall cliff.
Mentally? even more easily. Humans are animals. Were just more creative in our modes of self destruction. I see a hyena eating one of its own, and i laugh. I see a human eating one of its own. I laugh even harder. Because in all truth, were nothing but hairless dogs, who walk on two legs. And no matter how much we want to deny it, we are no different from the tree dwelling primates we call inferior creatures.
So both mentally and physically, yes. I could kill a person. Sadly, im a pacifist. ((Though i believe in violence through others for the right reasons. I wont shoot you, but if your going to cause the death of hundreds, i'll happily let someone do it for me))
And to be honest, killing a person wouldn't effect me. I used to go hunting with my dad, and taking the life of a furry forest dweller never bothered me. ((nor did i get a thrill out of it)) Probably the reason i ended up becoming a pacifist.
Mentally? even more easily. Humans are animals. Were just more creative in our modes of self destruction. I see a hyena eating one of its own, and i laugh. I see a human eating one of its own. I laugh even harder. Because in all truth, were nothing but hairless dogs, who walk on two legs. And no matter how much we want to deny it, we are no different from the tree dwelling primates we call inferior creatures.
So both mentally and physically, yes. I could kill a person. Sadly, im a pacifist. ((Though i believe in violence through others for the right reasons. I wont shoot you, but if your going to cause the death of hundreds, i'll happily let someone do it for me))
And to be honest, killing a person wouldn't effect me. I used to go hunting with my dad, and taking the life of a furry forest dweller never bothered me. ((nor did i get a thrill out of it)) Probably the reason i ended up becoming a pacifist.
If the circumstances demanded it, yes. This is a topic that screams "requires context!" but I assume we are to bring our own.
Let's try a wacky scenario.
I've been brought to a dark room by a mysterious stranger. There is a man in a chair in the room. The mysterious stranger hands me a knife and tells me to kill the man in the chair. Mysterious stranger assures me that any death in the room would be unknown and consequence free. I could kill the man in the chair simply to know the experience of ending a life. I would likely consider for a time; then kill the mysterious stranger.
Reason:
Someone who would set up such a situation and make such an offer would be far more dangerous than whoever might be in that chair.
I might agonize over the decision for a while, but I'd likely get over it.
Let's try a wacky scenario.
I've been brought to a dark room by a mysterious stranger. There is a man in a chair in the room. The mysterious stranger hands me a knife and tells me to kill the man in the chair. Mysterious stranger assures me that any death in the room would be unknown and consequence free. I could kill the man in the chair simply to know the experience of ending a life. I would likely consider for a time; then kill the mysterious stranger.
Reason:
Someone who would set up such a situation and make such an offer would be far more dangerous than whoever might be in that chair.
I might agonize over the decision for a while, but I'd likely get over it.
Given proper circumstances (self defense, protecting others, etc), I'm pretty sure I'd have no qualms over shooting someone. I'd probably feel a little queasy doing it up close (as in knifing them). Doing it with just my bare hands would be hella discomforting
But in a sudden twist, it is revealed that the mysterious stranger was actually working for the man in the chair, and they were just testing you to see if...uh...you had it in you to kill someone. Because they're part of a vigilante organization or something :OThistlehart said:
The only thing that prevents me from killing people who annoy me is the law itself and the consequences (keep in mind to 'really' annoy me it takes a lot of effort). If we're talking getting away with it ... yeah I could kill people.
Very easily if it was a matter of self defense. I've been trained to go for killshots as there really is no other way to be certain that an attacker will stop. I would not be able to kill a person out of cold blood, however.
I am planning on joining the military though, and if need be I will be ready to kill someone, but only if they pose a threat to me or my fellow soldiers, which again goes into the self defense category.
I am planning on joining the military though, and if need be I will be ready to kill someone, but only if they pose a threat to me or my fellow soldiers, which again goes into the self defense category.
Then according to my friend, you aren't a true pacifist. He wouldn't kill someone trying to kill him. And he has kind of a point. A true pacifist is opposed to ALL violent acts.Imbechile said:
... But to be honest, I'd take your less-than-true form of pacifism over his "oh god, he can be annoying, what if someone does actually try to kill him" pacifism XD
I'm pretty much in your situation. I wouldn't call myself a pacifist, because I'd fight someone off if they were trying to hurt someone I cared about, but as the great Malcolm Reynolds once said "if someone tries to kill you, you kill 'em right back."
It depends on what they did. If a criminal had wronged me in a way or was a potential danger, (as in, he/she killed my friend/family , or was about to give information to someone who wanted them dead, or raped someone, abused someone, etc.) I'd kill them. I'd probably be smiling while I did it, too.
I think it's more wrong to let these kinds of bastards live, but that's just my opinion.
I think it's more wrong to let these kinds of bastards live, but that's just my opinion.