How hard would it be for you to kill someone?

If you were involved in combat, the stay alive imperative might kick in, and most of you would do what needed to keep you alive.

But I finally watched the beginning of Breaking Bad, and the science teacher finally killed the chained guy once he knew he had a shard of plate intended to kill him.

When morality is removed, and survival and family needs become the main thing, could you kill? Talk is cheap.

I would kill to protect life, but not my own and only if it was absolutely necessary.

a reply to: droid56

Wouldn't have an issue whatsoever if it's me vs them and I'm not in the wrong in any way, shape or form...

a reply to: Aedaeum

But you are life.

Whether or not you COULD kill is not the question, the question is can you deal with it afterward?

PTSD.

originally posted by: abe froman
Whether or not you COULD kill is not the question, the question is can you deal with it afterward?

PTSD.

[/
quote]

No, the question is, could you kill if you are a mostly good person, but the killing was necessary for the good of people you love.

a reply to: droid56

There is something very odd about you, it is like you have 10 id's or something...Combat is for soldiers and they are trained, Breaking Bad is a tv show based on a meth dealer.

Real life situations that require life or death choices can only be answered by those that have dealt with them, but there are plenty of morons out there that get drunk and drive and kill, so for them not very hard at all. Me, it would be very difficult for me to kill another human being unless the life of a loved one was at stake, and even then it would be very difficult, only as a completely last resort.

I can barely kill a bug, but the taking of a human life better be really necessary or karma will bite you hard.

It's not the killing you should worry about, but how your going to get away with it. Self defense law doesn't apply everywhere.

a reply to: droid56

After thorough analysis and your GUT says "Must kill this guy".

Boom, ANNIHILATION!

I couldn't take something I could never give back.

I don't think I could go through it, no matter the circumstance. there are things, which physiologically our minds cannot forget, this is one of them. I'm sure there's a reason why.

if I can kill, I think I can also incapacitate to nearly kill. if killing is the absolute, then nearly killing is definitely right in front of it; id rather take that route if things really went tits up.

a reply to: droid56

I think it would be very hard.

I got attacked once by an acid freak at a new years party. He just laid right down over me and held on for dear life. All 275 pounds of him. I was scared. I had a ball point pen in my hand & I remember thinking,"I should stab this bastard right in the chest." But I could not do it, why, I do not know.
Maybe it was because a split second later my boyfriend started whaling on his head and his cousins grabbed his arms & legs. Some guy I didn't even know pulled me out by one arm. I knew I was protected. So I guess for myself, the answer is iffy.

Tell ya this much, I stepped in front of a mean dog to protect my grandson, & the beast backed off, LOL.(Probably the 'come on, I dare you' look on my face that did it. lol)
Guessing I could to protect a loved one by killing.

S&F for such a thought provoking question.

a reply to: droid56

I find 'morality' interesting because I can't help wondering exactly when it actually kicked into ancient man's life? Was he always 'moral' and killed only when threatened? When did a conscience happen in our evolution as we are told we have been kicking around for some 200,000 years?

I watched some of the old footage of men going to WW1 cheerfully. They were from all walks of life and I wondered if they had actually thought about having to kill another man - it was like an orderly mob marching off but I wondered why it was so easy to wipe your sense of morality out to go to fight for some rich man or power monger's war - which is usually the instigator of warfare. You aren't going for yourself exactly its for people you have never met and probably wouldn't like if you did.

Killing is easy.

a reply to: Shiloh7

There was a survey of European and American veteran soldiers. One of the findings was that some 9 out of 10 never fired a bullet at the enemy. They claimed to have fired higher, lower or anywhere else but at another person. IIRC the results were accepted as broadly accurate. The Army can be said to have strength in numbers, but also needs the 10% of soldiers who are willing to kill.

That's consciences speaking. I imagine once someone has knowingly killed an enemy it gets easier and readily justified.

As a fellow Brit, you might also remember Harry Patch? He was the last WW1 veteran to die in England. He recalled facing a German in the trenches who was dying from a stomach wound. The guy begged Harry to kill him and he could only stand there with sidearm drawn...as he hesitated, the man's eyes faded and he died. I think he served in two wars and didn't kill anyone.

a reply to: droid56

I'm 99% sure if it came to it I'd be able to do it if need be.
Killing an enemy combatant(or Assailant) should be like smashing a fly,quick easy and not thought about afterwards,I think if you are mentally prepared to make that decision then when push comes shove it shouldn't be difficult.

I would only kill someone in self-defense of myself or my family.(I consider killing a rapist or pedophile an act of self-defense )

Well obviously you need the means the motive and the opportunity.

The motive is either survival instinct or calculated preemption.

The means is generally a gun, but it could be anything, as long as it's actually ready to use when you need it.

The opportunity is the rare situation where you are sufficiently endangered to have motive, yet cannot be stopped from accessing the means to kill.

Most of us will never be in a position where we are 1. in imminent danger of death, 2. Unable to escape as most would choose if able and yet 3. able to bring deadly force to bear before we ourselves are killed.

For me the realistic scenario where I could kill is where I have known there was a potential to be trapped in danger and have armed myself and determined exactly what my reaction will be and at what threshold. For example, when I sleep outdoors, I keep a combat knife in my bag with me. If I wake up under attack I'm stabbing thru the bag immediately, and I'm still probably gonna lose, but I've given myself an option beyond surrendering and hoping for the best in the unlikely event and that's the right balance of insurance to cost in my mind.

a reply to: droid56

It would be hard work. But I think if the circumstances required it, I could find a way to kill if I had to, using most of the items in my house, not to mention the walls, furniture, appliances, and so on. That fails entirely to take into account the kitchen full of sharps, the replica swords in our windows, my personal selection of short blades, and the hatchet, bill hook...

I wouldn't last long in such a scenario, I'd probably try a few old school judo moves followed by a kick to the nuts and eye gauging. After that I'd probably be so tired that I role over and await my death

a reply to: Kandinsky

I didn't know about that survey and it is fascinating. Interestingly when I was training, I was told 1 in 12 is a psychopath but its how they choose to use that characteristic, many go into industry etc. Also apparently we need these people as they initiate invention and change which stops complacency.

I certainly remember Harry Patch - great old gent.

I have always thought mankind to be a benevolent species with a natural tendency to want to help others. Thanks for that info.