What would you do?

What would you do if you were given this choice:
You must kill a complete stranger, without knowledge of what crimes he may have committed. You have a knife in your hands. And if you do not kill him; you will be killed yourself. So you have the choice, Kill or be Killed? What would you guys do? Just wondering…
EDIT:: BTW, You can have no contact with the victim before you kill him. So there is no way of knowing what value he is to society.

yawn. Kill him. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Originally posted by Lrdwhyt:

yawn. Kill him. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

So you would kill him in the knowledge that you may survive, but then his (hypothetical) family would be left bereaved? And his (hypothetical) friends? Alright…

Kill him dead. I would be as justified, both morally and legally, as i would be in killing someone who tried to kill me.

OP didn’t imply he would be the one trying to kill you.

I’d say kill him, because I do quite like being me.

But when it came down to it, I’d be interested to see how many people say the same, but would find themselves unable to actually use the knife.

Originally posted by NeilSenna:

I’d say kill him, because I do quite like being me.

But when it came down to it, I’d be interested to see how many people say the same, but would find themselves unable to actually use the knife.

Ha… I like your point. (BTW, as Ajora implies, he isn’t trying to kill you) I still haven’t given my opinion yet! Oh dear, time to rectify that… I would, of course, turn the knife on myself. Besides that I haven’t the heart to kill a total stranger, I would rather die than face the ever-nagging guilt.

I have no idea, because I’ve never been in that situation. Anyone who thinks that they can accurately predict their actions in a situation like that is wrong. Unless, of course, they have been in that situation before.

Perhaps I’ll panic and kill him, perhaps I won’t be able to. I’ve never killed someone before, I have no idea what it’s like or how much pressure would be needed to make me do it. With that much stress, whatever I did would not be based on reasoning or rationality.

Anyone who thinks that they can accurately predict their actions in a situation like that is wrong.

Why? I think it’s a safe bet to say that the vast majority of people would rather kill than be killed themselves, even if it was in such a gruesome manner. That’s just how humans work. The high stress and adrenaline would probably help you to commit the killing.

I would rather die than face the ever-nagging guilt.

Of course you’d feel guilty, but I don’t think it would be so unbearable that I’d rather die. I’m very happy alive, and I’d like to keep it that way, even with a killing on my conscience.

Why? I think it’s a safe bet to say that the vast majority of people would rather kill than be killed themselves, even if it was in such a gruesome manner. That’s just how humans work. The high stress and adrenaline would probably help you to commit the killing.

They probably would. In general. For an individual person, all you can really do is make educated guesses. You can’t be totally sure you’ll do what you predict, and you certainly can’t be totally sure as to why you would do it.

Everyone is so quick to forget that there’s a major assumption here, and it wasn’t stated in his post. Why would the person sadistically putting you into such a position even keep up his word? In other words, what’s to stop him from still murdering you the moment you kill the other guy? In a situation where I am unsure of whatever might happen to me, even though the bastard may claim he’ll let me go if I kill the other guy, I don’t know if I would do a thing. I can’t say for certain, since I’m not in that situation right now, and never have been.

If I somehow have a 100% certainity that I’ll survive (or rather, that the particular person won’t kill me) if I kill the other guy, I might do it. I might not. I obviously don’t know.

Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Anyone who doesn’t agree with me is lying.

Originally posted by Badgermole:

What would you do if you were given this choice:

You must kill a complete stranger, without knowledge of what crimes he may have committed. You have a knife in your hands. And if you do not kill him; you will be killed yourself. So you have the choice, Kill or be Killed? What would you guys do? Just wondering…

EDIT:: BTW, You can have no contact with the victim before you kill him. So there is no way of knowing what value he is to society.

destroy the knife. destroy the evidence of the knife’s existence. attempt to kill stranger with hands. fail purposely, run. pretend the knife never existed, so you couldnt have killed him.

These kinds of what-if problems are difficult. You’ve left me no choice, of course I’d kill him. Your premise doesn’t allow any intelligent discussion of the concept. The real question is whether I’d feel bad about it.

It would be a very difficult choice for me to make. He deserves life as much as I want to live. But ultimately, that is a good theory when our goals are mutual. The goals you’ve given us are entirely opposed, so our behaviors are an indication of that scenario.

Kill him. It’s self-defense.

Originally posted by Badgermole:

Originally posted by Lrdwhyt:

yawn. Kill him. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

So you would kill him in the knowledge that you may survive, but then his (hypothetical) family would be left bereaved? And his (hypothetical) friends? Alright…

What about my family and friends?

If the only options were kill or be killed, I’ll kill. I wouldn’t care of his dependents or acquaintance, unless they are mine too….. Still I’ll kill, better them than me.

Kill ’em.

like SithDoughnut says – No one can predict what your reaction would be until you are in that situation yourself. However I’d like to think I wouldn’t kill – even at the cost of my own life.

I think it quite depends on how I would be killed if I refused to kill the other person, to be honest.

They probably would. In general. For an individual person, all you can really do is make educated guesses. You can’t be totally sure you’ll do what you predict, and you certainly can’t be totally sure as to why you would do it.

No, you cannot be totally sure, but individuals know themsleves better that anyone else does. I am personally very sure of what I would do, and so it seems are the other people who have posted.

Basically, I reject the notion that we cannot accurately predict our behaviour in certain situations, even situationbs we have never experienced before.

Simple answer, I have no idea. But I’ll try and hazard a guess…

I most likely would wish to, but be unable to carry out the actual act. I am quite simply not a murderer, and guilt could destroy me if I became one. If I had killed him I would be forever worrying about whether or not he’d had a family, if he could have done the world some good. I am pretty sure I would do one of two things. I would possibly panic from the pressure of the situation, and instinct would take over, making be stab the man. However I may panic from the pressure of the situation and stab myself for some relief.

It’s a very hard choice.

Kill him. Easy.

Those of you having trouble saying that you would kill him are too innocent/week.

I’d want to know how I would die if I chose not to kill. If it were torture to death, I would probably kill the man. However, if it was a quick and painless death, I would accept being killed, because one person dying from being stabbed is much worse than another being quickly put to death.

well i have a strict no suicide policy and not killing him would be suicide sooooo i would show my true form as the greek god Poseidon and ride away into the sunset on an invincible pony or maybe kill him

I would kill him, then after I am sure he is dead, I would slit my throat and commit suicide.

Originally posted by VintageVanguarde:

I would kill him, then after I am sure he is dead, I would slit my throat and commit suicide.

So instead of wasting one life you’d waste 2?

Oh, wait…I almost engaged a Van alt.