Would you save your pet or a stranger's child?

[NotADailyMailJournalist]

Hello all

Slightly inspired by another thread where posters were surprised that people were more interested in someone's dog than their baby...

If you have a cat/dog and you could only save it or a stranger's child/baby, what would you choose?

For the purposes of this thread, no-one would ever find out you'd been given the choice, so you wouldn't face any consequences.

Thanks

My pet of course. I love her more than any human I actually know, never mind some random.

I'm childfree by choice and have a dog and two cats I love very much. I would still choose to save a stranger's child because a) I couldn't live with myself knowing the incredible grief the loss of a child would cause to an entire family and b) I'll be losing all my pets anyway sadly as the remaining lifespan of my youngest is about 8 years so I'd only be delaying the inevitable. It would be absolutely horrible and devastating to me though and would haunt me for the rest of my life.

Child over pet.
The adult or pet thing would very much depend if I'm entirely honest.

Yours sounds like a slightly different situation.... although I still wouldn't agree with you.

But I was commenting on the posters who simply think we'll I love my dog and would be upset so obviously I would save it over a random child. It's a very interesting way of thinking totally centering their own feelings. Surely must be verging on some sort of sociopathy? Just viewing their own feelings in a situation rather than considering others feelings too.

Well, if my dog was genuinely in danger then my instinct would be to protect him or save him - I don't think the strangers child would even be on my radar as I would assume their parents would be protecting them.

In honesty, I think before I'd been through losing a child and supporting my child through that, I would have said I'd choose the child over the pet. I don't think I'd have hesitated about that either.

Now on the other side, I know my choice would be for my child.

Generally I agree with choosing the child over the pet. In my own circumstances, I do feel I would be okay about choosing the pet first because, like I said, that's a choice for my own child indirectly. If my child hadn't already been through so much and the impact of choosing the child over the pet would be different for them, I know I'd choose the child. That's not my situation though, so I'm choosing pet/my child.

Just viewing their own feelings in a situation rather than considering others feelings too.

The thing is, when you're in a crisis situation you don't have time to sit and think about how your choice will affect other people - you just do what your instinct tells you to do.

But for a lot of people, empathy comes naturally. They wouldn't actually need to sit down and have an internal debate with themselves. The fact some people literally just think what would upset me the most and automatically put themselves first is very telling and almost a bit chilling. Those of us with empathy often assume everyone is like us, but there are clearly lots of people walking round who purely care about themselves. They are socialized enough to not cause actual harm on purpose but they don't actually care about others. Creepy.

I’d probably risk my own life to save my dog, but I couldn’t choose it over a human child 😑

It’s a bit like that meme I’ve seen on mugs ( and I have the mug )
I don’t care who dies in the film as long as the dog lives 😂

But to be honest although it’s not what the question was . I wouldn’t risk my life to save anyone apart from my immediate family

if I had to choose between my pet and a stranger I would pretty much pick my dog

If that makes me an awful person I can live with that

@Comedycook

If I saw my dog run into the road or something, I would just instinctively go to get him. I don't think I'd even notice a child because they simply wouldn't be on my radar to start with, if that makes sense.

A lack of empathy would (to me) be actively choosing to let a child die over a dog - but for many people I suspect it would just be instinct to grab their pet.

That's not the question though. The hypothetical question doesn't seem your life as being at risk. You are just asked which life you would save...assume you're safe regardless

I’d save my pet. It would be far more traumatic for me than seeing a stranger, even a child, die in front of me.

I have complex-PTSD so cannot handle great stress or additional trauma without becoming very ill.

I mean I wouldn’t hesitate to try and rescue my dog. I love him very much 🤷🏼‍♀️
No way would I choose to save/rescue him over a child though.

Stranger's child, of course. Anyone who says different is a psychopath.

I totally understand.

It's a very interesting way of thinking totally centering their own feelings. Surely must be verging on some sort of sociopathy? Just viewing their own feelings in a situation rather than considering others feelings too.

I’ve watched other people putting themselves and their own feelings first all my life.

I’m disabled and because of that nobody has ever wanted to be my friend. Their own desire not to be my friend and not to support my disability always takes precedence over my need to have friends. They prioritise their own feeling of “we don’t want her around” above my need to be included. Sometimes I’ve been merely excluded, other times I’ve been outright bullied and pushed out.

Remind me why I should give a shit about others who have repeatedly not given a shit about me? That’s not sociopathy - it’s common sense.

I'm sorry that's been your experience. There are some of us out here who would accommodate your disability and not push you out. I know I'd be willing to be a friend to you.

Anyone who calls someone names because they don't understand why someone might choose the pet is very lucky to not be in a situation they can get it.

Aaah “most people” eh? And how did you become the spokesperson for most people? Was there a special meeting or a vote that passed me by? No? In that case you aren’t speaking on behalf of most people at all. Just yourself.

Thanks for the thread OP, it’s really interesting. Quite a lot of fibbers I think.

Well what's interesting there is has your mindset been created by how you have been treated or is that mindset just how you are regardless of that treatment?

Surely you must have come across kind people as well as awful ones?

You have a societal responsibility to protect children, but you're a sociopath so I wouldn't expect you to agree with me.

@clockdoc It's a bit mean to pick on you, as your view is pretty common across this board and totally understandable.

However, as you are quite critical of those who choose not to save the child: could you share how you have saved a life, and what you have given up to do so?

It would be a really powerful way to encourage others, by example.

Yes, and I protect children. First I protect my children. I'm just a mother who, once upon a time, would have thought it's a no brainer to choose to save the other person's child and there is no other choice. I'm now a defeated bereaved mother with no more emotional energy to spare for now, who has been to hell and back with my other child who was devastated by the sickness and loss of their twin, was given an emotional support animal in the process, and doesn't have it in her to put her child through more loss and pain at this stage. I choose my child first by choosing their dog.

I’m vegan. I think a lot of speciesism is illogical (e.g. killing a pig over a dog). Each of a child and a cat/dog/pig/sheep can suffer, they all feel pain, they all have individual personalities, likes, dislikes etc.

That all being said, I would pick the stranger’s child every time without hesitation over my beloved cat (who is now gone). I would pick an adult human over her as well. Whilst I know logically that human life is not inherently more valuable, if faced with a choice I personally can place more value on human life because I can empathise more with human beings, as I am one, and with how it might feel to lose one. In terms of a child, I have a daughter and honestly if she were not alive any more I don’t think I would be either, my life would be over. Whereas in the majority of cases people get over the loss of a companion animal (as they generally have to as the animal’s life span is far shorter than a human’s). On the other hand, if the choice is between harming an animal and not harming an animal without harming a human would choose the non-harm every time.

Those who would pick the companion animal I think are doing so because of the joy that the animal brings them, and the pain of watching someone they know die vs a stranger. I can understand this too, even though there’s a part of me that finds it galling.

That's not a good example. In that scenario, if you're able to 'lift' a baby from a fire (I'm picturing a baby that's fallen into one and note the OP specifies child not baby) if your dog is small enough to have also fallen in, you still have a free hand so can save both. If your dog isn't small enough to pick up with your hand it is also able to free itself from the fire.