The Student Room Group

Who would you save: A beloved pet or a complete stranger?

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Original post by XXchachaXX
A human being :redface:


good. i wud do that too.
It'd be quite a strange scenario in which both my cat and a stranger are in mortal peril and I have to choose one. :s-smilie:

I'd go for the human being. My family and I would hold a small funeral in the garden for the cat and be sad for a while but it's better that than a small child having to attend its mother or father's funeral.
I think most people would gain more utility value from saving their own pet than a random stranger, so it's not that irrational. Also, people are usually bastards to some degree or another, I'm sure Hitler's family would have missed him (had he not killed them) as well so saving someone on the basis that their family/friends might miss them is not that great a reason IMO.

It's a tough decision, I'd hate to kill my loyal dog then find out I'd saved a murderer/rapist etc...someone more versed in game theory than me could probably add in that regret factor as well to the equation.
Strangers die all the time. I don't get upset about it. I't doesn't affect me. So i'd save my pet.

I'm not a crazy animal person btw. I don't see how anyone who doesn't give all their money over and above what they really need to those 'look at the poor africans starving' people can criticize my caring about my cat, which I don't really need, over some randomer.
The people who say "pet" really scare me.

Dont get me wrong, ive had my dog scince I as 4 years old and I will cry like a baby when she dies....but c'mon people its a human who most likly has a family, friends and loved one.
Reply 25
Definitely a stranger
I don't have a pet but I'm pretty sure I'd save a stranger. People who are saying they'd save an animal and let a person die are ****ing PETA-loving hippies.
To me, this question is like saying "who would you save: a beloved family member, or a complete stranger?"
I love my dogs and they are a part of my family; just because they aren't human doesn't give them any less right to live in my opinion, especially when they've given me nothing but love throughout their lives. :yep:

So, although it appears to be an unpopular view, I'd pick my pets! :h:
Reply 28
Original post by Jeester
It's called "People Trafficing"
:redface:


touche :rolleyes:
Reply 29
Original post by buddhacoffee
To me, this question is like saying "who would you save: a beloved family member, or a complete stranger?"
I love my dogs and they are a part of my family; just because they aren't human doesn't give them any less right to live in my opinion, especially when they've given me nothing but love throughout their lives. :yep:

So, although it appears to be an unpopular view, I'd pick my pets! :h:



Well put, pets for myself too. Wouldn't even be a moment of hesitation.
Reply 30
My beloved pet every time, my dog is another family member to me.Besides which, as I'm getting older I'm finding other people annoy me!
Reply 31
This thread makes me despair for humanity. 35% of people would save their pet?! You might as well save your iPad.
(edited 11 years ago)
It would be an automatic reaction for me to save a person over an animal.

It would be difficult to say no to a pet who you probs view as a family member, but could you live with yourself knowing that that person's family had lost a brother/sister/son/daughter?

I really loved my cat and thought it was the end of the world when it died. However I got over it very quickly.
The person...
My natural instinct would be to save my pet since I love her so so much, but I know I would have to save the stranger and as much as it would kill me I would, the pain of the strangers family, parents, siblings, friends and possibly children, would outweigh the pain I would feel for losing my beloved pet
I'm vegetarian but I'd still rather eat an animal than have someone die because I didn't want to.
Reply 36
I don't value human life in the slightest, so definitly my faithful and loyal dog.

My dog is innocent and part of the family, whereas the stranger could be a killer, rapist, druggie, child abuser, woman beater...


Also I'm fairly sure most of you would get out your iphones and just film it, rather than save anything.
(edited 11 years ago)
I like to think that I'd pick a person, and I probably would. If I had time to make a rational decision I'd definitely save the stranger. However if it was a "PICK NOW!" jump-in-front-of-the-one-you-wish-to-save sort of situation, and it was a beloved pet that I had a connection to and considered part of my family then instinct might get the better of me and I'd jump in front of a pet. I'd feel dreadful afterwards.

In saying that, I don't actually have a "beloved" pet, although I do have non-beloved pets. I'd save a stanger over them.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 38
I love my dog, but would save the stranger. Losing my pet would be horrible, but some one could be losing a dad, mother, son, daughter etc, and that would be much worse than losing my fuzz-butt friend.

Imagine that person was your family member or friend and they chose their pet! I'd be so angry i'd want to kill the choose-ee.
(edited 11 years ago)
Out of curiosity

Is anyone who picked "save the pet," a medical student?

Or picked "save the stranger" and is a vet?

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