Poll: A moral dilemma - kill ten to save yourself?
- Thread starter awesomeClaw
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I think this is one of those situations where you can't ever know for usre what you'd do until you're actually living out the situation, which (hopefully) nobody will ever have to do.
I THINK I'd probably not be able to face hearing the people burn, so I'd kill myself and let the others live.
I THINK I'd probably not be able to face hearing the people burn, so I'd kill myself and let the others live.
Your conversation reminds me of Lord of the Flies. You must be most like Piggy.AccursedTheory said:
The voice might also be lying about everything else. Maybe the workings of the buttons are the other way around. Maybe if you don't press a button in 1 second it's phosphorus for everyone! Usually in these moral dilemmas it is assumed that you have absolute knowledge of the outcomes of your choices, so that you can make an informed decision, instead of trying to figure out what is actually going on.zehydra said:
Anyway, in this scenario, I'd definitely kill myself. It is obviously the right choice and I don't care that much anyway. It may be difficult to really press the button, but that would also be the case if I was going to press the other one.
But I have to admit that the method of death is probably a big factor for me. I would prefer instant death, but otherwise the painless method described doesn't sound so bad. But if I would burn to death instead (especially if the alternative would be painless deaths for those 10 others), I'm afraid that that would really change things. Doing the right thing when it means quietly going to sleep (and never waking up) is one thing, pushing a button that will cause me excruciating pain and then death is another.
No, my mother just brought me up to be a reasonably decent person, I guess.Littlee300 said:
Or maybes it's because I've SEEN rape, I've SEEN cowardice, and both disgust me to a point to where I'd rather end myself then be part of it.
More than likely I'd kill them pretty quickly. I'd look at them all and ask them individually what they do. Unless they were almost all brilliant scientists and researchers, I'd take them out. If chosen at random, odds are they wouldn't be any. Why scientists? Because I don't mind sacrificing myself FOR SCIENCE. But I'm a physicist myself, so I'd need more than one to also be scientists. I'd sleep on it for a night though, just to be sure he isn't kidding around with it. Self-preservation is hard to overcome. Button system is nice though. Even more indirect than a gun. If I had to stab them all I'd likely feel more remorse, even though the end result is the same.
Throw my best friend, parents, girlfriend, or role model in there and it would be a completely different story. Sacrifice, come out like a hero, no pain for me.
Throw my best friend, parents, girlfriend, or role model in there and it would be a completely different story. Sacrifice, come out like a hero, no pain for me.
u think we're bad try going to 4chanAwXome1 said:
OT: On some odd days when Im depressed I find myself looking for a way out but I don't feel like a coward enough to kill myself(plus religious beliefs regarding suicide) so in this situation I think my knowingly ending my own life would be understood by the high power I believe in so I'd press the button for the gas. Unless it was 1 of those days when I want to live(or if I had something coming up that I want to be around for) then I'd turn on the phosphorus in the other room
That one guy who was Jack's right hand, Roger. Always obeyed and followed society's rules until he wasn't watched anymore. Then 'the beast' wouldn't be suppressed anymore. Some people wouldn't have had sympathy after your experiences. Some people would relate to the cowardice you've seen. Just depends on the person.AccursedTheory said:
The people from 4chan would demand to see the other ten individuals tits, and then proceed to beat off and wedge a death lever up their rectum.AgDr_ODST said:
Weird lot, they are.
I'm confused. Are you trying to justify the worst part of humanity, entice me into believing I'm capable of such thing, or just referencing a book for shits and giggles?Littlee300 said:
As much as my instinct and will would cause me to say "I'd kill myself", if I was actually put in that position, it'd likely be a case of me killing them after hours of pondering.
Label me as you wish but humans are built with self-preservation mechanisms. As much as you want to sacrifice yourself for the lives of others, it'd be likely that you'd kill them instead of yourself.
It's fine to think you have total will to do something, when it comes to it though, things will drastically change and your ideals will vanish into instinct. It's not evil, it's simply human nature.
If the stakes were higher, there'd be higher chance I would sacrifice myself
Would I want to die to save 10 people? No.
Would I want to die to save 1,000 people? Yes.
Would I want to die for 1 person I love? Yes.
I simply wouldn't allow those who I love and care about to go through the emotional burden of me killing myself. If it is a position you're forced into, it isn't murder, it's survival.
If you want to kill the people... Thats a different story.
Label me as you wish but humans are built with self-preservation mechanisms. As much as you want to sacrifice yourself for the lives of others, it'd be likely that you'd kill them instead of yourself.
It's fine to think you have total will to do something, when it comes to it though, things will drastically change and your ideals will vanish into instinct. It's not evil, it's simply human nature.
If the stakes were higher, there'd be higher chance I would sacrifice myself
Would I want to die to save 10 people? No.
Would I want to die to save 1,000 people? Yes.
Would I want to die for 1 person I love? Yes.
I simply wouldn't allow those who I love and care about to go through the emotional burden of me killing myself. If it is a position you're forced into, it isn't murder, it's survival.
If you want to kill the people... Thats a different story.
As I don't value my own existence all that much, I'd be willing (if not happy) to off myself for their benefit.
Saves me a lot of future worry.
Saves me a lot of future worry.