A game I've been playing recently has sort of sparked some curiosity in my head, about people or objects or goals that you hold very close to yourself to the point of protection.

It's pretty easy to say "I would die for this person" or "I would die for my ideals", or even to some "I would kill if it meant I achieved my goal" in a sort of twisted the-ends-justify-the-means logic. The latter sounds harsher in words, but I'm sure we've all had thoughts about doing absolutely *anything* in order to achieve a goal or possess an object.

However, as with a lot of human emotions, we tend to overestimate ourselves. When push comes to shove, do many of us actually have it in us to protect what we hold close if it meant the possibility of losing our life?

Humans are innately self-absorbed people; when you treat someone with kindness, when you do someone a favor and even don’t expect anything in return, it’s partly to satisfy yourself, even subconsciously. We can think to ourselves how much we enjoy helping other people – and that’s fine and true! My point comes from the wording of the sentence – “we enjoy”. Good actions will always be good actions, but some deeper level of us only does it to make ourselves feel good. Not that this nullifies the effect of the kindness; it is human nature, and in the end, you still helped somebody regardless of your "true" intentions. However, is there any possible sentence or action which signifies you do something COMPLETELY selflessly? Sure, there is – the action of dying for someone or something.

Back to the original question, keeping in mind that we are self-absorbed creatures: do we truly have it in ourselves to die for someone else or something else? Of course we do. Plenty of people have in the past, and you may have even known somebody who gave their life for something they held close. However, these people must have had an incredible amount of courage and strength to be able to truly think to themselves, “yes, I will lay my life on the line right here in order to protect what I love and to further my ideals, even if somebody else has to be the one to carry them out”. Dying for something means you give up your own life (thank Captain Obvious after I explain my point, also refer to Shirou Emiya’s world-famous quote “people die when they are killed”) – your family, friends, aspirations, all of your previous accomplishments which further you toward even bigger accomplishments later in life.

My point being, I think we tend to throw around the term “yeah I’d totally die for that” very loosely. Obviously, a lot of the time it’s just an exaggerated way to say you really care about something, and is usually a joke, but many people do have something that they would say that and truly intend it. However, if the time actually comes where they must put their money where their mouth is, will they be able to pull it off?

The idea of killing others in order to further an agenda or further your own aspirations is another thing I want to talk about, though I’m not naïve enough to say that it’s thrown around loosely as much as what I just talked about before. You’d be suspected by official police forces pretty fast if you said that with all intentions, lol. It’s a thing in politics and war, which is an entirely separate discussion, but what about between individuals? What if you were competing with somebody who was evil (defined in your own terms) for one singular object or idea? Would you have it in you to kill them because you believe the world would be better without that thing in their hands? Would you have it in you to kill them if they were threatening somebody you loved and held close to your heart? What if they weren’t even “evil”, but rather an average joe in the same position as you? Do you have enough obsession over anything that you could genuinely admit you would take someone’s life over it? I also feel like this is something we take a bit for granted.

Keeping all this in mind, I really just want to ask one question. Is there anything that you believe you would truly, sincerely die for? What about anything that you would kill for? I find these kinds of answers quite intriguing to read. And no don’t worry, I’m not the FBI nor will I report you to them if I think your answer is suspicious. Unless it is…

I’m not sure myself. I think I would genuinely give my life for my close friends and family, but that’s about it. Fortunately, we live in a world where the weak can survive among the strong, but when times get tough (and they will always get tough) it will be the strong who prevail. Keeping this in mind, I cannot imagine giving my own life for somebody else that I didn’t know very well – they simply just “didn’t make the cut”. I will obviously help them if I can do so without putting myself in extreme danger, but I can only do so much in certain situations. It sounds very unmerciful, and I would absolutely feel bad about it, but ultimately, it’s these kinds of decisions that really tests your mettle. I also don’t exactly think there’s any sort of ideal I would give my life over – in this case, I definitely believe that there’s no “now or never” chances, and something will always come up later which may allow me to drive home my ideals without giving my own life – and if there isn’t, then I’ll simply make one. I can’t really think of any specific situation where this could happen in the real world, but it’s an interesting hypothetical to give some thought to. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for a while, but I still hope to whatever god of luck is out there that I never have to experience something like this.

I can say I don't think I have any ideal I would die for, and I can't say I would ever kill to achieve a goal. What I can say I know there is a large amount of people I would likely instantly put my life on the line to protect, all of the people are close friends I can't even say that I can think of a family member that I would risk my life to save cause in some weird way my friends have for most of my life mean't more to me then family there are a few family members I would consider trying to save in a do or die situation. I'm not sure if this is just me but for some weird reason I feel like even the few family members I would wanna save I don't know if I would risk it to help them because I have a thought in my head of if I died saving them who would help my friends? My previous statement actually got me thinking what friends I would actually die for if I knew I could save them but I wouldn't live cause of that same thought except instead of friends if I die for a friend or would save the people I love? When I think about it like that I think the only people I would save if I knew it would kill me would be the people I love, friends depending on who it was I would risk it I think.

I don't have any ideals that I would die for personally but I do have some that I would definitely fight for since I feel like they are also a big part of who I am just like many other aspects of me. I would kill if it meant that I had to do it to protect someone I love since to me the lives of those around me are worth more to me than even that of my own but that would be a last resort in a scenario I feel like. I think that many people sometimes try and look for things that they love so much that they would die for it but I feel like a lot of the time people also tend to neglect thinking about the things that are worth living for since sometimes it can be easy to forget about the things closest to you. I think that there are many reasons why people do the things that they do and I do think that people tend to be able to say things with a lot of weight rather carelessly at times although I don't think it is ever really intentional.

I wouldn't lay my life down for anything or anyone except myself. I have no issues saying that either. I value my life, it's all I've got. I don't think you're in any position to save anyone if you can't save yourself. Let's say friends or family or whoever is close to you is being held at gunpoint. You simply get told "It's you or them". Where is the guarantee that they won't just shoot them after shooting you? It'd have all been for nothing and now you're dead.

It's the same with people like airplane pilots. Pilots aren't flying planes to get passengers across the globe to travel, meet family, move, and be happy. All a pilot wants is to be safe and get his feet back on the ground. When an emergency strikes a plane, all the pilot is trying to do is save himself. However by selfishly doing so, he just happens to also save everyone in that plane. He gets everyone where they want to be by just caring about his own safety. This makes him way more trustworthy in my eyes. Someone could spout all they want about "I would die for this or these people" but when time comes to shove a lot will back out of it. If I could choose to have my life be in the hands of a dear friend or family member, or an airplane pilot, I would choose the pilot 100% of the time. I'm just an unknown to him, he won't care about my wellbeing until after he's secured his own, which he is sure to try everything he's got to achieve.

I would never fight for an ideal or value of mine if it meant risking injury or maybe even my life. I want to see my ideals come to fruition myself. The thought wouldn't even cross my mind. I'm willing to discuss and debate but would never join a rally or any of that. I would however fight for some people if it didn't put me in immediate danger. I'm talking a partner and/or a potential child. Some other exceptions thrown in there as well. I'd gladly take a beating if it meant my child would stay out of harm's way. I'll gladly defend my partner if someone were to be talking s*** about her. These would be people I love and cherish. Dying would only bring them sadness. Protecting them would not.

As for killing someone just because they're evil, I wouldn't. Maybe for selfish reasons even. That person is not worth spending years of my own life in jail. I'd hurt them, torture them even if they're that bad, but I wouldn't kill them. If I could guarantee nobody would ever find out? I couldn't tell you. I hope to never be in that position.

Now killing to defend someone I love? Hell yeah. I've actually gotten close to it before. With the intent to threaten, but I would've gone through with it if they continued. Thankfully they didn't. If I'm not in any immediate danger I'll do it. Charges wouldn't even be that big if someones life was threatened and I just happened to kill defending their lives. A worthy trade.

So to any close friends reading this, sorry I guess. Dying alongside you, while a little poetic, doesn't interest me. I'd rather we both make it out and get something to eat that night. If only one can make it, I'd rather that be me. It's every man for himself at that point, and I wouldn't blame anyone for having the same mindset I have right now if I were to be the friend in this scenario.

To a potential future partner/child reading this (LMAO doubt that'll ever happen), I wouldn't lay down my life for you, that doesn't help anyone, but a few months of jail time in order to see you smile again would be 100% worthwhile. Love you.

I wouldn't lay my life down for anything or anyone except myself. I have no issues saying that either. I value my life, it's all I've got. I don't think you're in any position to save anyone if you can't save yourself. Let's say friends or family or whoever is close to you is being held at gunpoint. You simply get told "It's you or them". Where is the guarantee that they won't just shoot them after shooting you? It'd have all been for nothing and now you're dead.

It's the same with people like airplane pilots. Pilots aren't flying planes to get passengers across the globe to travel, meet family, move, and be happy. All a pilot wants is to be safe and get his feet back on the ground. When an emergency strikes a plane, all the pilot is trying to do is save himself. However by selfishly doing so, he just happens to also save everyone in that plane. He gets everyone where they want to be by just caring about his own safety. This makes him way more trustworthy in my eyes. Someone could spout all they want about "I would die for this or these people" but when time comes to shove a lot will back out of it. If I could choose to have my life be in the hands of a dear friend or family member, or an airplane pilot, I would choose the pilot 100% of the time. I'm just an unknown to him, he won't care about my wellbeing until after he's secured his own, which he is sure to try everything he's got to achieve.

I would never fight for an ideal or value of mine if it meant risking injury or maybe even my life. I want to see my ideals come to fruition myself. The thought wouldn't even cross my mind. I'm willing to discuss and debate but would never join a rally or any of that. I would however fight for some people if it didn't put me in immediate danger. I'm talking a partner and/or a potential child. Some other exceptions thrown in there as well. I'd gladly take a beating if it meant my child would stay out of harm's way. I'll gladly defend my partner if someone were to be talking s*** about her. These would be people I love and cherish. Dying would only bring them sadness. Protecting them would not.

As for killing someone just because they're evil, I wouldn't. Maybe for selfish reasons even. That person is not worth spending years of my own life in jail. I'd hurt them, torture them even if they're that bad, but I wouldn't kill them. If I could guarantee nobody would ever find out? I couldn't tell you. I hope to never be in that position.

Now killing to defend someone I love? Hell yeah. I've actually gotten close to it before. With the intent to threaten, but I would've gone through with it if they continued. Thankfully they didn't. If I'm not in any immediate danger I'll do it. Charges wouldn't even be that big if someones life was threatened and I just happened to kill defending their lives. A worthy trade.

So to any close friends reading this, sorry I guess. Dying alongside you, while a little poetic, doesn't interest me. I'd rather we both make it out and get something to eat that night. If only one can make it, I'd rather that be me. It's every man for himself at that point, and I wouldn't blame anyone for having the same mindset I have right now if I were to be the friend in this scenario.

To a potential future partner/child reading this (LMAO doubt that'll ever happen), I wouldn't lay down my life for you, that doesn't help anyone, but a few months of jail time in order to see you smile again would be 100% worthwhile. Love you.

This is quite the complicated subject for me, because there's a double moral to it.

I'd gladly die for the people I feel close to that have a future. That would give meaning to my existence, or at least to the most important moment of it, and even if it could bring grief to some, it is my decision and nobody can tell me otherwise.

However, those I feel close to right now would not be able to continue living if it means losing me, even less if they witness me die. Sacrificing myself for them wouldn't save them, so no point in wasting the life they'd want me to have and live.

What complicates this subject the most is that I wouldn't be able to continue living if someone I'm close to died and I did nothing to try and save them. The grief would consume and destroy me.

Not that long ago, I'd gladly die for people, even strangers. Back in time, I questioned my own existence, and if I saw no meaning to it, then at least I'd sacrifice it in an attempt to give the chance to others who do have what I lacked. I've been close to suicide, after all, so I don't fear the reaper.

I wouldn't die for an ideal, simply because I'm unable to believe in something to such point I'd fight to the bitter end to defend it. And I would be unable to kill anyone unless enraged enough, not like I'm prone to fits of rage but I do have quite the bad temper, so if I have to defend or avenge someone close trust me I'll do so.

When it comes to dying for something, it needs to be something worth dying for.

To imply that is to suggest that death has its own value, and that whatever you die for exceeds the value of dying by a significant enough measure to make it worth it.

In this vein, I think some people are truly selfless and can give their lives for a cause or for another person, because they are able to value something so much more than death that they make it look so simple.

For me... I don't think I have a single thing I would definitely die for, and that's a really sad thing to think about. It's not that I don't care about anything. I care about a lot of things. But my interest in life, and the value I place on life, exceeds that.

I want to experience as many things as I can. That's my life goal. To willingly give up my life goal for anything just doesn't make much sense.