Would you if you could?

BEAT

Let's say you have a friend who is dying of brain cancer and miraculously you are given the power to heal that friend, but only if you give your life for thiers....would you?



I was just thinking about this when I found out my friend has less than 2 years to live, had surgery on the brain but couldnt get it all. She has 3 small children, all under 12. All three have different dad's, only one of them is in the picture. The other two were abusive, come to find out now that one of the girls went to live with the abusive father...the other girl doesnt know her dad and the father of the baby has to be left to raise her and the sister alone.

You think of weird things like that I guess, I felt guilty when I thought I might not, but if she were my best friend or a family member I would...she is a friend of the family.
Does that make it ok to say I would'nt?

tman

depends on the person really, there isn't anybody i know whose life i value less than mine, so i'd say that i would.
and given the children situation... definitely.
i'm sorry for you & your friend, i've been through something similar recently. you can't let the guilt eat you up, just do whatever is within your power...

eh, my heads pretty fried at the mo, not sure if that makes sense, what the hay tho.

Mossy Monk

that's one to think about. it is one of those situations that i would not know what i'd do unless i was presented with someone i know who was going to die like that
(does that make sense?)

i chose undecided

MarcusGarvey

I wouldn't give my life for this girl as I don't know her but I do have a list of people I'd give my life for.

Most of them are close friends or family. So far I've lived a great life and if I had the choice of me or one of these people dying I'd choose me.

hedgetrimmer

It's one of this situations that you will never know what you will do until the situation arises (not live healnig, but if you had to give a kidney, and there was a chance of complications, for example).

There is no guilt to be had here. She has her life situation, and you have yours. You are in no way responsible for the choices she has made in life, and while obvious her condition is quite tragic, and not wanting to be facetious, life throws up these things. They are not good nor evil, they simply are.

As to whether I think I would do it, I would like to be heroic and say "Yes, of course", but to be honest, in a situation where on one my loved ones was ill and dying, I don't think they would want me to.

Good and staple philosophical question, though

Havelock

It depends o the person. I have friends and family who I would give up my life for in seconds. And I have others whom, have lived a good life or are happy to die. There is no need to feel guilty, the debate inside of you is between your natural urge to live and your humanity. Its **** I know, but you can't give up your life for her.

cournioni

Depends on who it is. If it is someone very close to me, most definately.

Big Chief

the answer that most people will give you to this dillemma is

It depends on the person

and its the same answer that i will be giving you..

jesus_thats_gre

If it was someone I loved I would, not just a family members though...

JohnnyBravo

i would no problem

Sposs

Then again would you accept your friends sacrafice? I Dont think it's something i would want to live with , if it's your time , it's your time.

IgnatiusJRiley

Good question and one I've thought about many times. I think it would depend on how important the person was to my life. If it would mean too much to lose them then I think (THINK) I would.

JohnnyBravo

i wouldnt let someone die for me cant explain why but i just wouldnt it would be crazy

Raz

If you were in a situation where your death was unavoidably going to happen and your friend, who is in full health, came up to you and said, "I can save your life and it will only cost mine.", you'd be tempted to jump at it but you couldn't help thinking 'Is it worth giving up my friends full life so I can keep my own?'
Imo the answer is no. I wouldn't want anyone to give up their life to save me. I would surely want to live but not at that cost.
I think if I was offered I would refuse and my last hours would be poisoned by the thought that I could live if I was selfish enough. I'd want to be that selfish and it would ruin my remaining time with the people I love.
And with the understanding of the arguments of the other side I couldn't fully offer my life.
And would I not be leaving familly aswell, maybe not those dependent on me but those who love me all the same.
I think that the right thing to offer is to take care of the persons unfinished business for them whether it be helping raise their children or brining last words to people unreachable at the moment.
I believe those kind of things will let them pass with all their responsibilities taken care of and the knowledge that they have helped prepare the future.

[edit]I didn't vote because the no option is only a single argument to that opinion[/edit]

JohnnyBravo

Or you could also think that if you were going to die that this is the last big adventure

TacT

I know I wouldn't be able to live happily knowing my best friend or a family member had to give their life so I could go on

skittishkitten

I chose undecided.

There are people in this world I would give my life for and there are people that I wouldn't. If it was someone I loved and I knew I could save them , then I would give my life for them. If it was threat or violence situation I would place myself in harms way to protect a child.

You shouldn't feel guilty that you might not be willing to trade your life for hers. She has lived her life and left her legacy in this world through her children. But it is in your power to be her friend until the end , support her as much as you can as she will go through difficult times. Be there for her children if they should need you. If you feel you need to do something , then make them a scrapbook about her for her kids . Put pictures in it of her and them and tell about her life and your memories of her. By doing that you are keeping her alive for them , it will be something they will grow to love and cherish.

I am sorry for your pain , as I know that you are suffering too.

woosaysdan

its easy to say yes of course i'd do it no problem but when it comes down to actually doing it would you???

ixoy

On a related note.... A friend of mine recently discussed the Titanic with me. He contended that most men nowdays would still give up their seat in the boat for a woman they didn't known, claiming such chivalry (which I'd see now as stupidity) is still alive. I contested this claim and said that most men wouldn't, nor should they. Am I right? We're not talking about children here, just about an old-fashioned notion.

tman

Originally posted by ixoy
On a related note.... A friend of mine recently discussed the Titanic with me. He contended that most men nowdays would still give up their seat in the boat for a woman they didn't known, claiming such chivalry (which I'd see now as stupidity) is still alive. I contested this claim and said that most men wouldn't, nor should they. Am I right? We're not talking about children here, just about an old-fashioned notion.

crap, thats a tough one...

in much the same way as i could never bring myself to hit a woman, i wouldn't be able to sit there on a lifeboat knowing that a woman could be saved by me giving up my seat.
nothing to do with chivalry imo, just instinct...

Wolf

My thing is who am I to say who is better or worse than me. So unless I truely thought they were worthless then without bout I would give my life for another. After all at least id be doing something worth while with my life.