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The Worth Of Life

A possible situation for analysis...

You are the victim in a hostage situation. Along side with you are other victims, let us say four of them just for numbers sake. The kidnappers have made it clear that if any of you tried to escape the rest would be shot. After a day or so you manage to find a clear cut escape that would give you freedom, but may cause the others to be shot. What do you do?

Life Worth The

I don't know. This is a really tough situation. To tell you the truth I may take the risk and escape, being a woman and being kidnapped can be a real nightmare in the whole sense of the world, so if I really see an exit, I will definetly go for it.

Edited: LDS_forever on 20th May, 2004 - 7:40pm

The Worth Of Life History & Civil Business Politics

I can't imagine trying the escape. Of course it might also depend upon what my contact with the hostages has been during this situation. Do I know them from before the hostage takeover? Have I had a chance to get to know them now? If I have bonded to some extent with them, I can't imagine saving myself at their expense.

Life Worth The

That is interesting, I really do not know what I would do, but a thought just came to mind... suppose you knew that all of you would eventually die or go through excruciating pain - would you still stay?

Life Worth The

I am not sure what I would do then. Probably if it was absolutely positive we were going to die no matter what, then of course I probably would do my best to save myself. In that case, my escape wouldn't really be the cause of the others dying. They were going to be killed anyway.

The Worth Of Life

Then there is the scenario of your love ones that you know are worrying constantly about you. I said I do not know what I would do because with such a strong contigent of emotions weighing down on your decision it would be hard to just sit there knowing that escape is possible.

The Worth Life

I would take the escape route, because my theory is that if the hostage takers have threatened death already, then the chances of anyone getting out of there alive is slim to none. I would have to believe that even if I dont take the escape path, that we will all die eventually.

The Worth Life Politics Business Civil & History

I would escape as well. My reasoning is that their threat to kill the others is just a threat. What good are dead hostages? If they are despeate enough to take hostages in the first place to get what they want, killing them will give them zero chance of getting whatever they are after. I think they were lying when they said they would kill the others. And if they did end up killing them, they probably would have killed us all anyway.