Should you give your life for another?

[Baron Max]

These soldiers are trained to jump on grenades. They are trained because their instinct is to do otherwise. I think without such training, you would probably flee.

Nope, it ain't like that. You'd be amazed at the number of people, even trained soldiers, who'd just stand there frozen to inaction .....and die because of it.

Baron Max

 

[Enmos]

You don't owe this person anything. Should you give your life for theirs?

No, unless there are some really special circumstances.

 

[nietzschefan]

You give your life for someone when you can't live with not having done all you could to save them. It might be a loved one, or even a stranger (say, a child).

This is a good answer, very much with my way of thinking.

 

[Exhumed]

I wouldn't. I can't think of one person I'd remotely consider doing it for if the scenario is as straight forward as you put it. Possibly I might risk myself for someone, but if it's guaranteed I die and they live, I never would.

 

[Baron Max]

I wouldn't. I can't think of one person I'd remotely consider doing it for if the scenario is as straight forward as you put it. Possibly I might risk myself for someone, but if it's guaranteed I die and they live, I never would.

I a reasoning sort of way or situation, I'd have to agree. But the problem is that people of all kinds do all kinds of things on pure instinct. You just can't know how you'll really act when confronted by such situations.

Ordinary people have run into burning buildings to save someone. When asked about it later, they almost always say something like, "Geez, I don't know ...I just did it."

Most often we have time to consider the consequences of our actions. But sometimes we don't ...we just act. Like falling on a grenade. Pure instinct, pure action, no thought or reasoning.

Baron Max

 

[Why?]

In dangerous situations, we tend either to freeze, fight or flee. This is the response to adrenalin. However, military training can overcome this instinctual response. I'm sure, however, that the training doesn't always work.