Okay, I was asked this question the other day, so I thought I'd share it with you. You're a doctor, and you have three infected patients; a baby, an older teenager, and an elderly grandmother. You only have one antidote, who do you save? I will share my answer later.
Not a trick question, right? I would save the teenager. The baby hasn't lived long enough to, hopefully feel the pain.. the grandmother has lived her life, and the teenager has the most potential to heal safely from the disease. But this decision is probably one of the hardest anyone could be faced with.
i'd have to know something about the teen before making that choice... if it's a gang-banger, i'd go with the baby... being one of the third choice myself, if i were that one, i'd turn down the cure in favor of one of the other two, anyway, so the doctor would only have two to choose from...
I myself would have to choose the teenager, because he's experienced life. The old grandmother has already experienced and lived life, and the baby has not experienced it.
It depends on what kind of person the teen is. If he is someone that has potential to accomplish important things, then I'd go with him. However if he is just some gangbanger I would choose the baby.
Yeah basically same as what everyone else has said unfortunately ;\ Decide based on what i know if the teenager deserves to live or not, if not then go with the baby.
I'd let each one of them pick a number, one through twenty, and then find one of those twenty-sided dice and throw it out. Whoever is closest gets to live.
Yes, because by me saving him it could possibly change his life. You never know, the baby may grow up to be a serial killer
Does it have to be an evil teen? What WWTW said about the baby growing up was what I was thinking... The teenager could be a nerd, for example. We're not all bad!
To answer the question directly: the teen, for reasons others have stated. The question wasn't: who would you save? the healthy baby, the thug teen, or dying grandmother. Just a baby, a teen, and a grandmother.
Is a Gang-Bangers life worth any less than a nice teenagers life? Or are we all human, and all lives are worth the same?
If a choice must be made, yes, one life may indeed have become worth more than another. Choices have consequences, and if one life must be chosen over another, merit matters.
From my point of view they're all equal, and I don't think I could decide. Sorry my response is so lame, but my views just get in the way xD
Equal as human beings? Yes. Equal expectancy of life in terms of length and quality? No. You wouldn't give give a new pair of kidneys or a liver to an alcoholic when are others in need. But that does not make the drug user any less of a human. Agreed?
But we all play a role in life- some are policemen. Some are librarians, firefighters- and some are gangbangers. Who's to say a gangbangers life is worth any less than anyone elses? Just because they chose a different lifestyle than others doesn't mean they're worth less. And the quality of their life is independent to the person living it. They may enjoy their life. To me- that is. You have your view, and its just as good as mine
I didn't mean quality of their life in regards to if they enjoy it. I meant, if you're going to be dodging bullets all day, chances are that you won't live as long regardless of the infection. Again, I didn't say that the person is worth any less. When you're saving someone with limited resources, you want them to be able to live for a long time. If the teen has a high chance of being given the antidote, then going outside and getting shot the next day, we've pretty much wasted our efforts. ETA: My Death Cab is Cuter than yours. That is all.
If I had no other choice but to make a choice, then it would be the teen. The teen is the one person in the choice of people capable of understanding the explanation I would give afterward, and actually putting it to good use. I am sure the elderly person would understand my choice. That person would have the maturity to have perspective. The baby would be a heartbreaking loss, one that would probably break me, but… I would explain to the teen, after I had made and enacted my choice, that I chose him/her because I had to make a choice. The price for the gift I had given the teen would be to always love and respect the elderly and wise, and that when the teen became a parent, he/she was to remember this day and this choice and this gift, and give all the love and caring that the lost baby never received to the new child. I realize that’s a lot to lay on a teen, but there has to be some sort of remembrance for the passing of two people to save one.
Humm tricky. Being a Doctor that means I have to have close contact them and there is a high probability (if not absolute) that what ever is infecting them is contagious, perhaps even highly contagious. Since I have only one antidote. I save myself.
I wouldn't want to offend the family of the infant, but I'd rule the baby out quickly, life has yet to begin for him/her and so he/she will miss nothing. As to the elderly person, if he/she could not understand why I would not choose him/her as the recipient, he/she would be proving me right. The teen and I would have to have a discussion about the value of life and how my giving him/her a second chance, it means he/she needs to do the same for all he/she meets. If the teen cannot understand this, well then, I guess the antidote will go to some other doctor's patient, won't it?
How would you guys respond if I changed--sorry, WWTW--the question to this: Who would you save? A potent baby, a drunkard man in his twenties, or a sick grandma? Think of the needs of each patient, and also think about the price you're paying. theoritically, of course.
Drunkard, and no problem Risen. Sick Grandma will probably die, and she probably would agree to save someone else. The baby, still, has never experienced life, while the drunkard has. I'll put it into terms of video games ; Baby is a save game with no progress, drunkard is a half-finished game, and sick grandmother is a second time through the game.
