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

Has anyone been in a position where they have put themselves on the line? Not necessarily taking a bullet. Have you walked into harm's way regardless of the cost, was it worth it, would you do it again?
 
That's a good question. I've probably known some soldiers that could answer that question, but it's not something I would ever ask for obvious reasons.
 
nuttynutskin said:
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.
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True dat. I'll guess that when we put ourselves in harms way we think it's all going to work out in our favor on some level. That's always been true for me if I'm honest. I've done it for my dogs but I always thought on some level I'd be able to handle the situation.
 
I agree that it meant to be a figure of speech in many regards however alasdairm mentioned that some people probably have a small group of people, often family and friends, for whom the phrase would take on literal meaning. For example my brother, sister, and mother and even two of my ex's are people for whom I would definitely sacrifice my life. I mean I don't really even like living that much so I'd probably be willing to take a bullet for even more people if I honestly thought they wanted to live more, they would do more good for the world than me, they were more important to their families than I am to mine, etc... like I'd die before my cousin easily because her father, my uncle, already had his wife, my aunt, and my other cousin, his daughter, die and it would be horrible for him to lose another child when I'm one of three children and my parents both still have each other. So it depends on the person and how much they really cling to life and how they react in crisis situations. I know I do well under extreme duress such as medical emergencies, life or death situations, being interrogated/chased by the police; however minor anxieties flip me out such as social anxieties, stressful sports situations, getting yelled at by parents, etc....
 
I had not been willing to take a bullet but instead aknowledge the fact that I could get hit by a bullet, shrapnel, or whatever there's flying in the air of a warzone when I entered into service as a peace keeper and did two tours in Afghanistan.

It was the welfare of the local citizens in addition of my fellow servicemen I'd take the bullet and neither those are my close relatives. I guess it takes a bit different view on life to put yourself at the risk for some you even don't know.

I am disabled veteran now so I guess I did take the bullet but instead of being a real bullet it came in a form of IED.
 
I'm sorry to hear that Root. You sound like a good person, and my respect goes to you for your participation in the military.

Peacekeeping, rather.

I would take a bullet several times over for a family member or a close friend.

I wouldn't know what else to do. It seems like a toyish topic at first, but mimicing the intensity in my head puts new perspective.
 
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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There is one person alive that I love so deeply, I would without hesitation in the slightest take a bullet for. Only one person ever.
 
Some people actually do mean it. When I was 8, my friend died. Recently, I told my friend that if a shooting were to occur, I would take the bullet. I would not be able to stand anyone else dying, but I could live with me gone. Either way I would be harmed. I take the bullet, I get shot. I don?t, well, I?d rather not say. In all reality, I would take the bullet for almost anyone.
 
Depends on where you are going to get shot, by what gun & what kinda round too.

A few Black Talon rounds into the head from an AR-15 is something I'd skip on but maybe taking a .22 from a small hand pistol in the leg would pass through my mind if someone said it was me OR the dog.
 
I took a couple of bullets, and some shrapnel. At the time it felt like a wasp sting, weird how the mind perceives an unknown sensation. Got to be honest, I was just in it because I always thought I would be even as a kid, I never had any ideological thoughts behind my presence anywhere. The idea given to us was that we are not to die for our country or for one another, we are there to ensure that it's the enemy who do the dying for their country and each other. Sorry if that sounds cynical but that's the reality of the training I received.
 
Of course that's the reality, people of conscience don't just fight for no good reason. A soldier fights right or wrong and on an ethical level I'd suspect it's the wrong reasons as often or more than it's the right reasons. I'll bet if you followed that honesty a little further the idea of blowing people up is kind of attractive in a video game sort of way. I think many of us, if honest would admit to some of that. Some men who join the military change their minds after they see some real carnage while others thrive on it. It all comes down to nature and nurture IMO.

That's just reality of our species.
 
Cosmic Trigger said:
Of course that's the reality, people of conscience don't just fight for no good reason. A soldier fights right or wrong and on an ethical level I'd suspect it's the wrong reasons as often or more than it's the right reasons. I'll bet if you followed that honesty a little further the idea of blowing people up is kind of attractive in a video game sort of way. I think many of us, if honest would admit to some of that. Some men who join the military change their minds after they see some real carnage while others thrive on it. It all comes down to nature and nurture IMO.

That's just reality of our species.
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Thats fair enough and presumably why we passed our selection tests. It's also fair to say that there was an almost sexual thrill when firing off something that was spectacularly 'game over' like a Javelin. I'm not the only one who has thought that, although few will admit it outside of their units.
 
I totally believe you. Why else would war be so popular in all times and places? We are mostly a violent aggressive species who cares little about the suffering of others.
 
War isn't all that virtuous. People think they are fighting for a just cause but they just end up fighting for the same reasons that humanity has fought over since the dawn of time. It's the same thing with activism, revolutions, the rise and fall of civilizations... it all happens over and over for the same reasons.

It takes a special person to observe and have insight into their own mediocrity as a human, and go against their own grain. Even then, it most likely won't make any difference because even the people with insight are still doing what all the other people with insight have done. We don't collectively evolve until an overpowering majority get on board. Until then it's just the same history repeating over and over.
 
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