Depends on the person.

Generally, however, if both parties enter into any situation where both could get equally hurt and they are both aware of this fact, then I'd let them take the heat if possible.

Survival of the fittest, I say.

if the ramifications spread to the other parties, that's unfortunate. But sometimes them's the breaks.

Welcome home :)

karma. however you think that might pan out.

You've always taken death as far as I've seen. I lean toward death, but I'm definately guilty of taking my share of cake

regardless of what the computation says, i still try to find the way for no one to get hurt. and when that proves impossible, then i generally end up taking the brunt of the pain. this isn't entirely selfless, i really just hate seeing my friends or any helpless person receive undue pain or hardship. and i get terrible "survivor's guilt" and spend the rest of my life wondering if i could have done more.

obviously, i've never been in a life or death situation. in essence, i don't like cake. in a more profound witticism, if my death would save the many, i would sacrafice myself each and every time. but i'd prefer to never have to make that choice.

actually, i find that even easier to answer. i'll spread the pain around if it means there's a chance friends won't die. as i know my friends can handle anything (god knows i've been through enough with them) i won't worry about them handling the pain. this doesn't mean i like it (for someone not likely to have kids, i've got some freakin' strong maternal instincts) but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. you really can't protect everyone forever. if you tried, you'd just wear yourself down so much that when someone really needs you for something legitimate, you'd just be a husk of person.

are you still coming to b-lo the end of july? i won't have class then so i could really do some philosophizin' with you guys, as long as it starts before 3am. and you really should stay for the weekend. or two weeks.

Since you are one of many who didn't respond to the post, I'm letting you know personally that I would like very much for you to come somewhere and hang out and/or drink with me Friday evening to celebrate my first week of having a Real Job. We dunno where we're going yet, but we'll figure it out before then, hopefully. Har har.

Entirely situational. Obviously I'm all for letting other people get hurt, and indeed hurting others intentionally. It seems selfish to deny people the opportunity to be hurt, if that pain is something which could help them. People need to be hurt. They need to learn to hurt others and survive. If the hurt in question is pointless, and can actually be relegated to one party to the exclusion of another party (this seems unlikely), I might as well take it myself. But sparing others pain as a general rule seems like an asshole's move, to me. It seems based on an underestimation of the capabilities of others, a presumption of their desires, and a disinclination to allow others to grow.

well, that's what i'm here for, to be six steps to the left of normal.

re: my tri-annual dose -- bee-atch, i phoned last. just 'cuz you sent me straight to voice mail doesn't mean i didn't call you back.

Well, actually, zee day of zee sun sees my departure for the land of the lovey -- we is heading up north for the marriage of the Alice and the William. Sigh. My wife's getting married. It's like she's all grown up, or something. So yeah, out of town Sunday to Sunday. Pretty sweet, really...

hey, man, give it to them yourself, eh? i can send you zee address if you're a card-type bloke, or zee phone number if you prefer... i understand some people quite like these phone-things, and actually go out of their way to carry the things around with them in pockets and such. i, of course, use mine for window-decoration. but as far as i can tell, nearly everybody has one these days.

crazy kids.

Is there any reason why we couldn't all be hurt equally? What's wrong with simply allowing things to take their course?