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When people say they'd take a bullet for someone...

nuttynutskin

nuttynutskin

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May 15, 2011
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Do they really mean it? To me it sort of seems like bullshit because in a life and death situation I don't think anyone really knows how they're going to react, and if you're being shot at I think the natural response is going to be to try to flee to safety unless you have a gun too. But before I comment any further, what are you guy's thoughts?
 
It's a metaphor. I don't think most people really mean it when they say it, they just mean that they're loyal/supportive/whatever to a big extent. I don't think they even imagine the particular situation, being faced with a gun to the face and being OK with it. It's just a metaphor.

In any case, I hate the "I'll die for [a cause*]" patriotic bullshit. People talk about dying for a cause, but never talk about doing something affirmative to support the cause. Die for their country. Can it be any more stupid? Why not, I don't know, be productive for their country? Work? Invent something?

*Whatever it is: defending the country, defending a family, whatever.
 
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i think you are getting caught up on the random gun violence scenario, as opposed to the individual meaning one can attribute, to be willing to lose everything they hold dear in order to exert energy towards whatever is ones cause.

if you are aware of the intention that you will keep following whatever path you have chosen, even if faced with your own extinction, i think it is a motivating factor towards going through hardships/doubt.

death is something intrinsic to human nature i think. something we in the west try to ignore because it is seen as the opposite of life, but i believe a deep appreciation for our mortality leads to a more alive life.
 
nuttynutskin said:
Do they really mean it? To me it sort of seems like bullshit because in a life and death situation I don't think anyone really knows how they're going to react, and if you're being shot at I think the natural response is going to be to try to flee to safety unless you have a gun too. But before I comment any further, what are you guy's thoughts?
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I think you're taking it the wrong way and not considering the intent behind the words. Of course we can't know how we'd react on such a situation ahead of time. But the claim that I'd take a bullet for someone, to me suggests a situation where the ability to make a considered decision is available. Not a scenario of someone just shooting at you. In such a scenario it would be impossible to accurately determine that you would in fact have to make a choice to be shot or someone else shot.

I would for example say, I would take a bullet for my boyfriend. Which I am completely serious about. I would. However in saying that,to me the suggestion involves a hypothetical where I know one of us will be shot and have the ability to make the decision for it to be me rather than him. Not the kind of scenario you refer too. I think the scenario I describe is what most people mean when they say the phrase.
 
I would rather give a bullet as a sign of my love than take one - (in the non-metaphorical, extreme life-or-death example.)
 
Thinking back, there were people who I loved so much that I would've self-sacrificed everything for them, probably even my own life. Now? I still appreciate those people, but can't believe how devoted to them I was. Was I blind?

I'd probably give the ultimate sacrifice for family members, especially my nieces and nephews. Like if I saw an out of control car hurling toward them, I would gladly push them out of the way and let the car hit me.

Sacrifices for romantic love? Maybe if we were married and they were a life partner.

I agree though mostly it's a metaphor.
 
^ indeed. i think most people have a small number of close friends or family members for whom the saying is literally true.

regards

alasdair
 
I've seen a guy taking bullets for someone else so it can be meant literally too.
 
alasdairm said:
^ indeed. i think most people have a small number of close friends or family members for whom the saying is literally true.

regards

alasdair
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For sure... and one valuable lesson I've learned is that genuine relationships stand the test of time. One of those people who I would've sacrificed for, I now have a restraining over against!! So yeah, don't be too hasty lol
 
Yeah, I think its a turn-of-phrase to demonstrate how deep our devotion to someone else is. We are pretty much hardwired to automatically avoid dangers to ourselves. In the heat of the moment, I'm pretty sure that our value systems and ideals get superseded by automatic reaction. I would do everything that I could to protect my girlfriend and have imagined myself in various scenarios and my reaction always seems almost instantly protective but, of course, I can imagine all sorts of things.

In my younger years, me and my friends would always promise to step in for each other if there was some kind of fight thing and, sadly enough, I saw a fair number of fights and rarely saw anyone intervene as promised. One time when I did step in to back up a friend I ended up getting the fucking shit beaten out me, and he got his head stomped. My actions made no positive difference. Different but similar context I guess.
 
Foreigner said:
I'd probably give the ultimate sacrifice for family members, especially my nieces and nephews. Like if I saw an out of control car hurling toward them, I would gladly push them out of the way and let the car hit me.
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This is pretty much what I was trying to get at. Maybe the taking a bullet for someone wasn't the right phrase since it could either be taken as a metaphor or literally.

But yeah... What I'm basically asking is would you put yourself in harm's way and even potential death if it meant saving someone else's life that was close to you. Either way, good responses.
 
I would, but it's not entirely out of selflessness. I don't think I'd want to live without my loved one, I'd rather be shot than see them be shot.
 
nuttynutskin said:
What I'm basically asking is would you put yourself in harm's way and even potential death if it meant saving someone else's life that was close to you.
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i would. i think many people would. would you?

alasdair
 
I would like to think I would but the more I think about it the more that I think it's impossible to say once the fight or flight response kicks in.
 
If it were a split-second decision, who knows? If I had time to think about it, it would depend on whether or not I was feeling suicidal or depressed. The person I was saving would be taken into consideration too. I probably wouldn't take a bullet for an old man who has lost all his teeth. Maybe I would for a child or a lover.
 
Embracing death isn't really that far-fetched, honestly. There are people who blow themselves up in support of political or religious movements, which to me is far more amazing/fascinating as a phenomenon than dying in defense of relatives or loved ones
 
Agreed. For one, not all people are equally afraid of death.

I'm very afraid of life without my partner. Far more so than death.
 
JessFR said:
Agreed. For one, not all people are equally afraid of death.

I'm very afraid of life without my partner. Far more so than death.
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But that's really not an equal projection as I see it because you can envision and conceptualize life w/o your partner whereas death is a complete unknown.
 
socko said:
If it were a split-second decision, who knows? If I had time to think about it, it would depend on whether or not I was feeling suicidal or depressed. The person I was saving would be taken into consideration too. I probably wouldn't take a bullet for an old man who has lost all his teeth. Maybe I would for a child or a lover.
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Exactly..it all comes down to the emotional response involved with that person; for my child or any child for that matter, I would do it...for other people, maybe only their kin or maybe nobody..it all depends on the person.
 
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