I've been a hopeless romantic for as long as I can remember. As well as being very nurturing and self sacrificing as far as my loved ones are concerned. I was, and still am, willing to give up my life for another. Even if that person is a complete stranger.
I was taught this was right when I was a Christian. However, even now that I believe there is no afterlife or reward, I still have the same outlook.
Recently, my good friend of six years brought up the topic of dying for another and called me a fool for saying that I would. I love him too much to debate him, but what do you guys think?
Would you die for another? If so, under what conditions? Or do you agree with my friend that your own life is too important to risk?
All opinions are respected :)
Subscription Note:
Choosing to subscribe to this topic will automatically register you for email notifications for comments and updates on this thread.
Email notifications will be sent out daily by default unless specified otherwise on your account which you can edit by going to your userpage here and clicking on the subscriptions tab.
"All life is precious, nor should any life be wasted, Grasshopper."
This includes yours Sloth.
I would definitely not die for an other person which I deem not as important as me.
I am usually more important that most people since I have control of my actions, I do not control other people so my life is precious.
However there are situations where I would die to save other people. Like saving a genius that can contibute to the world more then me and saving a lot of people with my actions.
There limitations to this though.
Sloth we are repeated so much that love everybody ike yourself that we loose the meaning of love and what it means.
Let me give you an example:
why do you not donate all your organs to 5 differnt people that would die without them right now?
Why dont you die for 5 people?
I can assure you the list of people needing good organs are big.
Don't you love them like yourself?
1 life vs 5, the choice appears clear but it is not.
The truth is that you do not love them as yourself or even as relatives.
The word love is overrated in christian communities, they practically change completely it's meaning.
It becomes more like respect for human life.
If we change the context a bit and those 5 people are people you live like your parents and family then yes the 5 vs 1 option now makes more sens.
Since now you truly love those people but still it is your choice since it is your life.
The idea that you can love everybody like yourself is a horrible concept that is asking of you the impossible to make you feel guilty all the time.
Thus leaving you only one option to look for salvation in believing in Jesus without question or doubt.
It is a psychological trick that is being played in Christianity that many fall for.
In many cases I believe I would die for another person. If I was needed to fight for my country, perhaps I would hesitate, but I would not be afraid to die defending others. In a situation in which myself and another are in danger, and we both are likely to die, I would try my absolute best to save the individual without getting myself killed, but I would die for them if need be. Better to save a life than to die with them. Better to die than to live as a coward. My only hope in dying for another person is that I inspire them to make more out of their own life, and to spread that inspiration to others. Through death is loss, but also there is gain.
I agree with the good Capt. no life should be waisted but I also feel like I would die for another. I can't say exactly how I would act since I have never been put in that situation. I would hope that I could save myself and all the other people involved but if I couldn't I think I would die for a cause I believed in and if that mean that I believe someone is worth saving then yes I guess I would die for another but I don't think one really knows until they are put in that exact situation.
I cannot save my life. I will eventual just cease to function like a broken cheap watch. While I'm here I can however live like I know full well that this my only ride. I say yes. If that was what it took to do something right and as true as possible to what I think I should then yes. But let me say it is usually much harder to live for the betterment of another.
To me love is more than just dying for someone. I may sacrifice a lot for someone I do not love, but that does not automatically mean I love them, rather only that I am human. Love seems deeper than sacrifice to me, if that makes sense. It is not an ultimate act but a cultivated feeling. I would view sacrifice more as self-love than love for another, in the sense that it satisfies YOUR moral ideals.
I don't believe in wholly unselfish love, in the sense that we get some sort of psychological benefit from loving other people, so we pursue love in its various forms. Usually to keep from feeling alone in the world, even if it doesn't always work.
To address your questions, I would most likely not die for somebody else, even most family and friends because I quite like living. In certain situations this may change depending on my state of mind. I personally admire that you would die for another.
I think (couldn't be sure unless presented with it) I would give up my life for my children, their spouses, and my grandkids. Perhaps even for some child I don't know. I'm in the last 1/4 of my life...not that long to go, really. I think that figuring that I'm willing to do this may be, in large part, biological. Are we not driven to keep the species going?
if i have to protect my love , my family or a friend .. yes i would .
In my opinion, Love is the internal driving force which compels a person care to put others before the wants and desires of themselves. Others can be things or other creatures as well other people or even just simply ideas. You can love practically anything, for example one can love a project. Self love is your desire for self preservation and care over your own personal wants and desires which can be broken down much further. Of course, love has its limits and love can be felt to various degrees for various reasons which could probably be listed at infinitude. All said, If you don't love yourself to at least some degree meaning if you don't put yourself before at least something then your love is meaningless, so in order to love another one must first love themselves.
Additionally, if someone is freely willing to throw your life away in its entirety then they are willing to give up everything you desire or care about for it including your own self preservation this means they care about this thing but nothing else and therefore do not love themselves. which brings about this conundrum: Those willing to sacrifice their lives needlessly for their love of something have made the decision to write their life off as worthless in comparison to the object of their affection so in effect they give their lives in its entirety to this thing and they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice which ultimately amounts to nothing. True love holds the best value when something loves themselves as much as they love the object of their affection and is only effective when the same is returned.
So in answer to your question I would have to agree with your friend on this one but in the mean time you are more than welcome to hang around with me anytime just in case I need a human shield. Just kidding I like you and would likely protect you with another human shield I found less likable if one were available..