There’s a deadly virus - would you sacrifice yours or your child’s life to create a vaccine?

[Theycallmemellowyellowyellow]

I’ve been watching a really good series and this scenario came up.

Theres a deadly virus, catching the virus means certain death as well as the extreme likelihood that you’ll infect large numbers of people before you die.

You find out that your child’s is immune and is the key to creating a vaccine, but in order to do so your child would die during the operation.

Humanity and civilisation as we once knew it is finished due to the amount of people who have died and the humans that are left are merely surviving and trying to avoid becoming infected. But some people have created small communities and are living the best lives they can.

Would you be willing to sacrifice your child’s life in order to create a vaccine? Or what about your own life?

Nope

No, it's simple instinct, we have an extremely strong imperative to protect our children at all costs even if it is completely irrational.

There aren't many, if any, people who could override that, even if it was the logical thing to do.

Even if you knew everyone would die including your child, most people probably wouldn't be able to actively say yes, kill my child.

Most people would probably just let the natural events unfold.

It's like that dilemma with the train on the tracks heading for a group of people, and you can steer it onto another track to only kill one person - do you do it to save more lives? - But if you do, you have essentially got blood on your hands and have chosen to murder that one person. The other people would have died anyway without your involvement.

It's about the agency - if you choose to sacrifice your child then you have done it. If you don't then events unfold and happen.

Of course, in a way, no choice is still a choice, but in our irrational human minds it feels less like you actively did it.

My own life yes; now that my children are older (young adults and teen).

My child. No never. In fact I can say I would do the opposite - give up all of humanity just for the life of my child.

My beloved oldest daughter died aged 24 last October. I’ve been having therapy and exploring some of the thoughts that make me no longer a “nice” person. I said (and meant) that if I could bring my daughter back to live out the rest of her natural life with her siblings I’d give up myself, my husband, parents, all those dearest to me other than my remaining children and even the rest of mankind.

I think for most of us the desire to protect our children is foremost. I’d have burned alive to save my daughter.

I'm so sorry, thereisnomeaning. That would definitely vastly change how you view these sorts of silly hypotheticals.

For me, I would understand someone else wanting to sacrifice my child to save their children and the world. I couldn't accept it emotionally as a parent, but logically it makes sense, and I couldn't blame them for trying - of course, I'd also do my best to stop them from succeeding.

Ellie herself was furious with Joel for taking such a decision on her behalf (and murdering all the hospital staff in the process). She felt he should have sacrificed her for the cure. Of course, that is a child’s perspective, and it does evolve as she grows older, loses Joel, and her partner becomes pregnant too.

Personally, I could never sacrifice a child of mine, or any child. Myself, yes.

My DD, no.

Me - yes, in exchange for the *promise the world would end vivisection. No animal should be experimented on for humans.

Obvs it would have to be more iron clad than a mere promise!

Yes, I can understand the drive a parent has to protect their child. In a situation where there's two children hanging off a cliff and I only have time to save one, I can only imagine I'd prioritise my own child. In a situation where there is a choice, I do think I'd accept nature taking it's course. Children will live or die by chance alone, and I think I'd rather leave it to nature than make decisions about sacrificing anyone's children deliberately.

If it came to choosing one member of my family to survive some sort of pandemic, I'd choose myself, just so no-one else has to go through the pain of surviving the loss of the entire family. Dying all together in an extinction event, I can accept as natures way, because that way no-one is left behind to suffer.

Absolutely no chance 😂

No.

I am no martyr or hero and I would not sacrifice a child's life.

You would ask your 12 year old if he wanted to die and then live with his choice?

😂 yeah right.

Of course not. Stop drinking 😅

Never! The public don’t appreciate individual sacrifice, so I’d let em die.

@thereisnomeaning "Dying all together in an extinction event, I can accept as natures way, because that way no-one is left behind to suffer."

I definitely agree with this. It is different, somehow.

No

Yes, and those who say they would let their child live over them, that's not always the kind way. Seven in my family. If six had to die, I'd chose to live because I think the loving thing is to spare them having to experience that kind of grief. I'll take it on myself.

Nope, sod humanity. I think evolution would have done a pretty poor job if we were all fine for our dna to not continue. Especially since the advent of birth control and us not having 10 children any more.

I would definitely sacrifice myself, no question. I'm but a blip. My child? It would depend on their age/level of agency. I could see my daughter putting herself forward and I would resoect that. I wouldn't do so though. We don't 'own' our children.

In the Last of Us it's not just a lot of people dying, it's the end of civilization, possibly the end of humanity. So in that situation, if I believed it would actually create a cure (which seems, frankly, ludicrous) I probably would, yes.

And if I were the child and later watched so many people I loved die, watched then living forever on edge, I'd be angry that I'd been spared and this was the cost.

I think he was a huge coward.

Given the drop in birth rates in many countries, more and more people are in fact fine with their DNA not continuing though.

No, no way for my kids. Me or DH probably as long as my DC were first in line for the cure. I actually think humans becoming extinct is inevitable and would be the best thing for the natural environment, so no point tinkering at the edges with a vaccine. Bring on Armageddon!

So what if I believe the end of humanity might actually not be a bad thing?

Bold assumption that they’d be sorry to see you go though? 😂Children are remarkably self centred after all…

Mine aren't young children. They've been through the loss of a sibling. I know how it affected them. I know how it would affect them to lose their whole family. Therefore I choose myself to be the sole survivor to spare them that. In that way, I'm making the sacrifice for them, even though it leaves me alive.

No.