Would You Rather (rotating discussion game)

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If you became paralyzed through an accident and were completely unable to care for yourself without medical support, would you rather live or die?
I think that the best answer would be to live, for many reasons, the main one being to set an example. Though tragedies happen and are terrible when they do, they are not an excuse to stop living, but rather an opportunity to live better than you ever could have before. Not physically, no, but emotionally and mentally: realizing who you are beyond your body, fighting to overcome this difficulty, be an inspiration to others and live more enjoyably for yourself.
And imagine the guilt that would follow any who caused or witnessed the accident if you had died. They would have to live with the fact that they had killed someone. The guilt would still be there without the death, but there would be less of it, and it would likely be easier to move past.
The mystery of death also poses an interesting question: would death offer relief or further pain to a suffering individual? Maybe an afterlife, if there is one, is joyous and wonderful, but it could also be terrible and torturous.
If you die, your story ends. You are not so much as attempting to write another chapter; you believe yourself too weak even to manage a single word. If you act that weak, others who have gone through similar experiences will think that they, too, are worthless, and may end up pulling the plug on themselves.

I definitely agree. I would much rather live than die even if I needed a great deal of medical support. First off, I feel that it would be an unnecessary waste of a life. So many people have and are dying from diseases and injuries where they can't be cured and have no other option besides death. I'm sure many people would much rather be paralyzed and still be able to live and enjoy life, even though it would be limited, than die; especially if they didn't have a choice.

Second, I would try and keep up hope that I could start to recover or at least fund ways that could make me more independent. There are so many advances in technology that could make it possible for paralyzed people to be semi-independent, like wheel chairs with motors, and the wonders of voice control. And even if there wasn't a chance of a physical recovery, it would make an opportunity to grow and expand mentally.

I would rather die. Don't mean to be morbid, but if I had to be connected to all kinds of tubes and machines all poking and such, I would rather bleed to death. I get how you want to be an "example" to others, but I couldn't live like that. I need to live for me and for me only. Yeah, there are people I care about and love, but I think it would hurt them more remembering how I was and then seeing me hurt like that. Maybe dying would be better for the people I truly care about, they may not think it at first or hopefully not at all, but I would be better off dead.
Life is hard enough without adding physical complications. (especially this extreme)
It is also easier for me to say I would die because I have religious beliefs. I believe death is just the beginning, that there is a place out there for me. (Sorry if that was sappy!)
I need to live for me and die for me, there is just no way around that. So, I guess I would be that person begging you to "unplug" me.
      

Kimtonium wrote:I couldn't live like that.

Know that there is a possibility that your life could be vastly improved after the accident. You would grow as a person, even if you could not grow physically.

Kimtonium wrote:I think it would hurt them more remembering how I was and then seeing me hurt like that.

That's a possibility, and, to me, the most difficult part of the decision. I think the most painful thing for a family member to see and do would be to see me asking to die and begging them to kill me. If I did that to one of my friends, I would never be able to forgive myself.

Kimtonium wrote:It is also easier for me to say I would die because I have religious beliefs. I believe death is just the beginning, that there is a place out there for me.

Beliefs are a reason why I think that it is better to live--or rather, it's a lack of beliefs that decides it for me. I think that there is something beyond life, that after death we do end up going somewhere, but I do not belief in anything specific, be it heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc. It could be that the afterlife is a terribly painful eternity, and if that's the case, I would like to enjoy my time on Earth while I have it--however miserable it may be.

Kimtonium wrote:There is no use living a life that is not worth living

Ah, I think that every life is worth living and that there is no such thing as a worthless person. I think all life should be preserved--not forever, certainly, but I don't think lifetimes should be cut short when they could go on to help and heal others.

Chiasm Chicken,
Thought-provoking response. But....


Know that there is a possibility that your life could be vastly improved after the accident. You would grow as a person, even if you could not grow physically.

Very true, but the key word is possibility. I think, personally, that I would have a hard time living like that because I like to be very independent. It is possible that I could grow as a person, but I would never be able to get all that I want in this life, therefore, it is not worth living.


I think the most painful thing for a family member to see and do would be to see me asking to die and begging them to kill me. If I did that to one of my friends, I would never be able to forgive myself.

I wouldn't beg my familiy or friends, I would hope the people I love the most would be able to put ther own goals for me aside, and do what they know I would want to do. Obviously I wouldn't want them to do it if they could get into trouble; that just isn't fair. But if I was dependent on machines and unconcious for months, I would hope they would know what I would want to be done.


It could be that the afterlife is a terribly painful eternity, and if that's the case, I would like to enjoy my time on Earth while I have it--however miserable it may be.

Sorry, if I am a bit confused. So, basically, you would rather be miserable that have a terrible painful eternity? What do you feel makes the difference? What makes you want to live? Sometimes it's religious beliefs that make life worth it; the promise and the hope. What does it for you? (Know this is said out of curiosity, definetly not disrespect)


Ah, I think that every life is worth living and that there is no such thing as a worthless person. I think all life should be preserved--not forever, certainly, but I don't think lifetimes should be cut short when they could go on to help and heal others.

Very nice, for you. Not for me. I tend to think that there isn't such thing as a worthless person, like you said, but it is their life for them to decide what they want to do with it. A life is for the person living it, if they help others on the way to wherever the plan to go, great! But if they don't because they did what they wanted to do, even if that means cutting it short, it is anything but selfish.

Kimtonium wrote:So, basically, you would rather be miserable that have a terrible painful eternity?

Let me clarify: if the afterlife is hell, then I would rather be on Earth for as long as I could before resigning to eternal suffering. If I will be going to hell at some point in time, I would like to stave off that time for as long as I could, even if it means being miserable in life.