Do I have a strange viewpoint?

[tbourner]

I've spoken to a couple of people about this and they all think I'm mental and wrong! But you lot are weird so maybe some of you might agree.

Luckily I've never had to test any of these thoughts, so it may change in a real situation. Anyway the 'problem' I have is that I think people are responsible for their own actions. It's hard to think of a suitable hypothetical, but try this one:
You've been kidnapped with some other people and the kidnapper is holding a gun to a womans head and demanding that you kill one of the hostages, otherwise he'll kill the woman.

So in my mind I'd be like "Yeah right piss off, kill her if you want but don't bring me into it".

Essentially I would feel no guilt if she died, or if any other hostages then died, like it wasn't my decision and bringing me into the process with some faux activity doesn't change the fact that the kidnapper pulled the trigger. Trying to ease his own guilt by blaming me or something. Does that make sense?

Then I think what if they were asking me to cut off someones finger to save a life, or what if it was "Open the safe or she dies", and what if it was my wife he was pointing the gun at, or me!
But in all these scenarios my thoughts are the same, I'd just refuse. My conscience is my own problem and my actions are my choice, his actions are his choice and if he kills her, or my wife, or even me then so be it - his choice to do that, my conscience would be clear in all those situations.


Then someone says why wouldn't you open the safe to save a life, money < life etc. but the issue in my head is they're separate things. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't open the safe to someone who just asked for the money, so why do it just because some nutter is now saying he's gonna kill someone, that's his choice and my choice is mine. I choose not to steal the money and he chooses whatever he wants. I don't link the two.

So is that wrong? Am I a sociopath or something?


tl;dr: My conscience is linked purely to my own actions. Am I mental?
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Typical rock and a hard place type scenario, then people infer different things from your reaction.

The take a life to save a life stuff is pretty pointless.

To me, I'd do what I could to save a life, even if I didn't know them.

My :penny would suggest if you found yourself in that situation in real life. (the open the safe or she dies one) you'd probably open it. Personally I'd find it difficult to live with myself knowing I could have saved a life, but looked the other way.

Meh.
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[Derivative]

Sociopathy is not the correct word for this because you have no respect for your own body.

[andym]

[pepperami]

You are responsible for your own actions? ........ Ok do you accept the consequences of your actions?

You choose to not open the safe and because of that your wife dies?
Your decision/action had a result , can you live with that?
You had the choice to do things differently and You chose not to.

A hard call , but only you can make it and it is you that has to live with that.
You cannot be responsible for another persons actions, but your choices will have an influence and this is where your choice comes into effect.

Become a politician and them you wont/don't need to care about your actions or decisions

my
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[tbourner]

[Lord Percy]

Quite an interesting point. I think the way you're seeing it is that it's obviously entirely the fault of the person committing the main act. Like they're the dickhead who started it so it's all their fault, no skin off your back, your actions are just his collateral.

Don't think I'd be the one to say 'fuck that' though. That attitude could stem into many, many things. Eg when someone gets robbed on a busy street in broad daylight and not one person stops to help. Yet if everyone stopped to help, the robber would clearly lose at his game.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Raffles]

[tbourner]

[tbourner]

[dodsi]

[Derivative]

[tbourner]

[pepperami]

[tbourner]

[pepperami]

[Derivative]

[tbourner]

[Hetzer]

If you are presented with a choice of evils, and have to choose one of them under duress, you choose the least evil. If one of those choices is to make no choice, but choosing that is not the least evil, you should not choose it.

How you rate each choice may be an entirely subjective experience or an objective one, depending on the situation and nature of the choices. You may be commended afterwards or condemned. But if you did the best you could, for the greatest possible good, right or wrong, you should be able to sleep ok. Intent is very important.
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[swampy]

[tbourner]

[ScaredyCat]

[bikertomm]

Chances are, no-one's going to get shot anyway.

Those motherfuckers give you the gun aim it at them
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[stinkwheel]