Worth dying for...
 

I'm not sure if this belongs in the Philosophy forum or not. Perhaps the mods can put it where it belongs? eh?

Any who...

The question is...

What would you give your life for? Freedom? Love? Your Country? Your Family? What's worth dying for?

Great question !!!

Love, Family?
Definitely. The love of my kids for sure (and hopefully my wife too!!). No doubt about it - I would do anything for them, including dying.

Country, Freedom?
Honestly? I don't know. I guess I'd have to be put in a situation where the question was asked to know one way or the other. I have huge admiration for all those who have given their lives in war, fighting for their country and freedom, just dont know if I could do it too.

Now, is this dying *for sure* or risking our lives? I'd risk my life for more things than dying on purpose for.

To risk your life, you must accept some degree of certainty that you will die. What is worth 100% certainty that you will die?

- My loved ones
- To help someone else in need
- My country
- A worthy cause
- My beliefs

I should probably add that I live alone and I have absolutely no dependants. My answer would probably change if I had a family or someone that depended on me.

My Wife
My Family
My Country

What are your beliefs and what would you consider a cause worth dying for?

Some time ago, I took a long look at my life. I asked myself, "What would I die for?" Since I asked myself that question, I have made an attempt to live for the very things for which I would be willing to give my life. So the other side of the question is, to quote Princess Bride, "What have you got that's worth living for?"

My beliefs: I guess the best example I can think of is the Columbine shootings where the kids were asking the other kids if they believed in god right before they shot them. I'm not saying I believe in God but I would stick to my beliefs even if it meant I was going to be assasinated for it.

A worhy cause: Advancement of Science or knowledge. If I had to give my life to help find a cure for a disease or to make some kind of discovery, I would consider it.

Granted, they are both pretty far fetched scenarios but they are things I would consider dying for. We're all gonna go sooner or later, why not with purpose.

What do I have that's worth living for? Life. Consciousness. The human experience. I see every day as a gift. I'm glad to be alive to experience everything and anything, the good and the bad. I don't fear death but I do value life.

Nothing. What is worth killing for?

Nations have changed over the death of a single individual. And I find it hard to see how one could determine if a person risked their life, or if they threw their life away in hopes to make that change occur.

While I like the idea of this post and enjoy reading the responses it has garnered, the cynic in me feels that there is little point saying what one would do in an improbable situation. Actions speak louder than words, so I for one will not know what I will or would give my life for until I am faced with a situation where that might be the result due to a course of action.

The only thing worth dying for is yourself. Why would anyone die for anything else if not for themselves?

I can say from the safety of my chair in my room with a locked door that I would risk my life for my family and friends were they in immediate danger. I can also say that I would risk it for my country were it under direct assault. I might add other things, because I'm sure there are more if I think hard enough.

As much fun as these sort of discussions can be, I think it's important to note that unless one has actually risked their life in the manner of which they speak, everything they say is basically just blowing smoke up your ass. The sitation changes everything, and until one is placed directly in that situation, there's really little prediction as to how they'll react.

Captain Crunch. Best.Cereal.Ever.

1.Freedom - cause of everyone. If my life helped end the subjigation of the masses sure.
2.Country - cause of many. If Canada got cocky one day ;) to ensure what liberties the country has left are protected.
3. Love - Dying for love is a selfish act considering you mean dying to have a moment of love absolute utopia of happiness, no as the one united with such love would have to live through a lifetime of lost love. Dying for love in the sense that it would usure the unity of a happy couple until their dying day, absolutely, taking a bullet for one I love, in a heart beat. I also look too deeply into things ^^
4....ehhh....my family can fuck themselves...barring all consequences I might shoot them.

Mentioned above were beliefs, if the ending of my life would eliminate the two party systems tyrannical stranglehold over this country I would.

I wouldn't say its so much blowing smoke up the assage as I feel that any of these situations would allow death with fuffilment instead of death with regret.

I'm dying for a cigarette.

Nothing else is worth dying for. A lot of causes are worth fighting for, or risking your life for, but in those cases one usually hopes to survive in the end, even if it is only on a subconsious or instinctive level.

I think it's just plain silly to say "I'm willing to die so that there will be eternal peace and no cancer in the world," or I'd die for Love, Freedom, Honor, whatever notion you choose. Such a statement is too hypothetical and too vague to make sense.

All of em, but i would put up one hell of a fight before they took me (you're never taking me alive d'ya hear)
however I agree with robosharks point, it's a bit of an empty gesture due to the complete hypothetical nature of the question,

I would die for my family and for my girlfriend in a heartbeat. I would risk my life for my country if I agreed with the cause.

And what the heck, depending on how sick of the world I am on any given day, I might just die for a little old lady I've never met just to end it all. ;)

I don't think of things in the manner in which this question is posed. I see living as an existential response. So, to me, one lives how one lives, does what one does, and dies when one dies. I suppose I don't see the connections that are being drawn here between one's intentions, actions, and the results of those actions.

I could add that it looks to me that we risk our lives every day doing whatever it is we do. I don't sit around calculating those risks in an effort to rationalize what I do.

red sox world series victory.

With 100% certainity of dying, I would probably only die for my own salvation. If (given that Christianity is true and faith is necessary for salvation) I would not permanently renounce my faith to save my life. Of course, I can't really think of a situation where this would actually happen...

I would risk death for my country. I would lay on a grenade or take a bullet to save my sister--my parents too, but I know they wouldn't let me or want me to.

There are a lot of things I would die for. I cant tell you everyone of them because there would be too many and most of them I wouldnt have the time to actually think about the chance of dieing. If I had a chance to save a child, save a mother, save a lot of people then I would do it. Reason being that dieing for something is better than dieing for nothing. :)

What would I die for? Only to do something that, if I didn't die for it, would cause such great regret that I would no longer want to live. So: very, very little. Perhaps nothing. Nothing, most likely.

I'd die for my country. Other than that, it would be situation dependent - ie: if someone put a gun to my head and said its you or your friends, I'd tell them to fuck themselves. However, I don't know if I'd jump in front of them to take a bullet... etc...

I agree with many of the responses where it was stated that it is very difficult or impossible to say what one would be able to die for until the person is placed in the situation. As a student of psychology and human nature, I sincerely believe that mental preparation by repeatedly rehearsing one's actions prior to an event, regardless of how unlikely, will increase one's capacity to follow through with the desired action. I would want to exhibit such courage as to give my life up so that my wife and children would have the opportunity for a full life, even at the expense of one they love. Grief is only for a time, were I to give my life in exchange for their life, they would have the chance to come to terms with their grief and move on to a full life. I continually rehearse the feelings I expect I would feel in such a situation so that should I ever experience that type of situation, I will be able to act decisively and fullful in death the very values and ideals I hold in life.

What would I die for?

I've already said my family (wife, kids, siblings, parents).

I'd die for my faith. History has proven the power of martyrdom. The death of a person who believes strongly in something tends to encourage that belief in others. The fact that some one believes so strongly that they would give up their life for that very thing is an inspiration to those who know that person. It is in the face of death that all our values and ideals become distilled to those few things we hold most dear. I was mere millimeters from severe brain damage and/or death. In the days following, I had the opportunity to evaluate my values and ideals to weed out those that were irrelevant and cling dearly to those with impact beyond myself.

As stated above, we will all die some day. Everyone dies. What matters most is what impact you have had on the people around you that they can pass on to future generations. Hopefully my life will have had a positive impact on the future of my children and the other people my life touches. If dying will further magnify that impact, then I'm all for it. Bring it on!

i think many of the responses are too general... who wouldn't die for a worthy cause? it's worthy cause you'd die for it. circular. you'd die for your loved ones, but would you die for your great grandma who has a couple years left anyway?

the only people i know for sure is that i'd die for my immediate family and close friends. other cases are a bit more complex and don't fall under a blanket statement.

the only cause i would die for is my faith in Christ. if i were to choose between renouncing my faith and death, i would choose death.

like some posters mentioned before, there is a difference between a risk and certain death. i'm almost certain i would take grave risks for just about anyone if their lives were on the line.

add another one for faith.....I'd choose death over renouncing it

and then also

if put in a position where it was my life or my daughters....I'd choose for it to be mine

There is no God. There is nothing after death. You will be forgotten almost immediately (unless you are famous for something.) I personally would die for any reason as long as I was dying for something good. Life is really important to a lot of people I don't really care when I die so it's only fair that I help those life lovers hold on a bit longer.

I'd die to save a life/lives.
I'd die for my freedom.
I'd die in protection of family and friend and stranger.


You only have the one life, might as well do some good with it.

To save others lives, for global peace.

I'm willing to die for what I believe in... as long as people know exactly what I believe in and that I am dying specifically FOR it.

Dying for a cause is worthless if nobody gives a shit.

Might be nice to not have to die for anything at all......

I think that death will be beautiful, can you imagine the profound transformation, we been dragging around these heavy limbs, dragged down by gravity and age, there will come a point where all light and love and understanding will be yours - in death.
There is no reason to be afraid.

There are a few reasons that I would willingly do something that could/would result in my death:

To protect the people that I love(family, girlfriend).
To stop another "3rd Reich", note that I do not mean just to protect my country, if the U.S. fucks up and gets into a war we don't need to be in then there is no way I'm gonna fight.
To prevent a woman from being raped, sorry if that statement reeks of a sexist viewpoint, but that's just how I feel.

For peace of mind.

the only person/place/thing (basically the only noun) i would die for is my mom. every other noun i have come into contact with has let me down in one way or another. but for my mother i would happily die.

Hate to be a cynic here but "global peace" ? doesn't that kinda belong in the miss whatever pagent? That has always been such a wide open statement because what in the world is "global peace" ?

I would die for anyone I knew to be a good person (yes, this is very ambiguous and is essentially giving me the choice of who to die for). I would also die for the survival of the human race, and nothing else. I would risk my life for a lot less than that.

This kinda goes along with freedom, but it really is different. I would die for my free will. For the ability to think anything I want without consequence or recourse.
And of course my wife and child.

Oh, I almost forgot pipe cleaners. The greatest invention ever. They are so versatile.

Hey, you clearly don't know that I won the Miss Generic Answer prize held annually in Buttfuck, Arizona. To spoil my chances in next year's pageant, Global = general Peace = contentment for everybody (even your cynical ASs).

I agree that debating this is near pointless (to find truth anyway, it can be fun so not pointless in that sense.) Words in this situation are inadequate, it can't be know until the moment comes.

I would die when I felt it was right, and have fun doing it. That's about all I can say.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

john 15:13

if my life can buy something worthwhile...then i'm willing to spend.

I know I'd risk my life for my family and friends and possibly just a random person. If I knew I couldn't save them though I'm not going to stick around to the very end though.

My Family....that would be the only "Given"

Only the one girl I love the most.

My kids....

Meh... I'd risk my life to save a bunch of lives. Could be strangers, could be family. Doesn't matter.

A solid 40 year stretch of hedonistic pleasure.

Nothing...

My friends, and the few family memebers I care about. The rest of the plant can hang.

my family is worth dying for, if me dying could in any feasable way prolong or protect any member of my family i would willingly die, nothing else unless i have to save the world or if they ban TV.

I'd risk my life for almost anyone.

I'd enter into a situation with full knowledge that I'd die:

If my death opened up the minds of people to realize that the things we die for on a regular basis aren't worthy of our lives - I'd suffer the most gruesome death in battle if it'd make the world wake up and realize that enough is enough.

If my death established a decent world-wide living standard for everyone (I'm not talking about MTV and p0rn at high speeds) - I don't see how my death could establish something of that sort but if it could I would.

To ensure the security of my immediate family and loved ones.

If my death would unite the entire world.

If Nick Lachey and Jessican Simpson would either die or stay the fuck off of my television screen.

with out a doubt i would die for my family friends and for your rights to freedom in whatever way you decide to use it because that is your right to choose in this country that other people have given thier life to give you that right so yes i would join them in that i served and would have given my life if necessary to protect your way of life but in everday life now i would do the same

I like to think I would die for someone in need. I saw a movie once, where a baby ran into the street, and a person dove at the child, pushed it to safety, and was hit by a car.

I honestly think I would do that if the situation arose, but in reality, it's so much easier to say than do.

I am also the kind of guy that will do a good deed, save a life for instance, and won't ask for props or flaunt around my greatness, but I will greatly appreciate recognition if it is given freely. Like "undercover appreciation."

This is a very good question, and a very hard one. It's easy for me to claim I will give my life for anything, but in reality, this likely isn't the case. I like to think I would, but again, it's so hard to tell.

I'd definitely give my life up for either of my parents, and also my immediate family. I also think I have the mindset and personality to "take one" for someone else (even a random stranger), but that may change as I get older and appreciate life more.

What people die for is generally inversely proportionate of what people think their lives are worth. For example, a person might think that their life is very important, therefore he might consider very few things to die for.
Using the same concept, If I just go to my job, do my work, come home and watch tv, and repeat this cycle for the rest of my life, I'm not really making society or mankind move forward, so for me, I would basically give my life for anything that would move society forward, be it a revolution or a scientific discovery etc.
However, lets say I become a leader of some revolution, and make good progress, I wouldn't give my life because now people depend on me, and therefore would expect some other people to give their lives for a good cause.
Just my two cents, hope it made sense.

Family members, cheese burgers, country, and humanity(you know, if aliens ever invade).

Goodness neotone, that's one of the most encouraging things I've read in a long time. I just hope that shortly after this transformation we don't have to go to purgatory, LOL.

All jokes aside, most of the good things already mentioned are things I would also die for. I just hope I never have to and if it ever comes to that, I hope I have the balls to follow through.

You said it..."Freedom,Love,Family and Country!"
But whoever is doing the killing better be damn good at or they will be pushing daisies. LOL!!!

As i am planning to join the military in the very near future, and the fact that im already in the fire service, I think that giving your life in the act of saving others, and sacraficing yourself for the greater good is the most noble thing that a person can do.

A person who has nothing they would kill to protect has nothing to live for, either.

For myself, I wouldn't know until the time came. I would never plan to give my life; but a situation might occur in which, in my gut, it would feel like the only right decision based on the stakes involved. I make no claim of knowing, right now, what the particular variables would be.