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YoKoolAid's avatar

If we were being held hostage and death was imminent would you join me in uprising against the hostage takers?

Asked by YoKoolAid (2424points) April 2nd, 2010

It always bothers me in movies and tv when people are being held hostage and its clear that the hostage takers intend to kill the hostages, they just kneel down and take it. Tears of the Sun and The Hunted come to mind, both depict ethnic cleansing scenarios, Under Siege is a good example….There’s one guy who decides to fight back, he gets killed, but he thought he was gonna die anyway right? So, if we were in that kind of scenario, and I was like: “ok, on the count of 3 we’re all gonna rush these guys, let’s go” would you follow me?

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23 Answers

jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities's avatar

I’m with ya. I can give a mean headbutt.

john65pennington's avatar

Yes. the law of self-preservation would take over body and seek an avenue of escape.

higherground's avatar

Yes I will ! Woohoo ~

phillis's avatar

If we found ourselves in that situation, you would be very glad that I am in the same room with you. I’m not about to die with the regret that I might have lived if I had just been able to overcome my fears. That’s worse than the death itself. Plus, I really do hate a damn controlling despot. First opening I get, I’m there. No doubt. It does not pay to piss me off to that degree.

Trillian's avatar

Fuckin’ A!
I don’t plan to take any crap lyin’ down, and I only get on my knees for one reason! I might get knocked down, but I’ll go down swingin’.

Cruiser's avatar

Of course…no question about that! I would do just to have a chance of taking even one of them out with me.

Your_Majesty's avatar

I think I have my own way in this particular situation. I’ll offer him/them my body,become their slave,sex partner,friend,etc. Everything to keep me alive. I think some/most people will become selfish when they’re in that situation,doing everything they could to save their own life.

rahm_sahriv's avatar

Sure, why not? I agree. If it is obvious there is nothing to lose, I would take any means available to have a chance.

jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities's avatar

@Doctor_D If death seemed inevitable, wouldn’t you want to go out with some dignity?

wundayatta's avatar

It’s an interesting question. It’s easy to say “sure” from the seat of an armchair quarterback, but how would you really feel if it were for real? Would you know for sure you were all going to die? Would you be told? Perhaps you would be told that only some of you would be executed. Perhaps you would all be so tired and starving that you had no energy for such a charge.

I’d love to go out in a blaze of glory—like those passengers who brought down the terrorists and made the plane crash in a field in Pennsylvania instead of the Pentagon. But things are rarely so clear as that, and I think most people would save that final charge for when they are very clear they will die, anyway. Waiting for that clarity could get you killed before you have a chance to be a hero,

Kayak8's avatar

I would sure like to think so but I agree with @wundayatta on some of the finer points of the scenario . . .

Just_Justine's avatar

Hell yes, I would plot and scheme then fight to the very death!

CMaz's avatar

Too late. Already killed them.

Your_Majesty's avatar

I’ll try to cooperate with them as possible as I could if that means I could save my life. I think if the risk is bigger than I could handle I might surrender instead. Who knows they might want to spare my life,I’m going to die after all.

Fyrius's avatar

I’d follow you, and probably get killed.

At any rate I wouldn’t enjoy desperately fighting for my life as much as most of this thread seems to anticipate. It’s easy to be a tough guy where talk is cheap.

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

I’d already be dead by that point, as I would fight to the death to prevent being taken hostage in the first place.

downtide's avatar

I would love to try but I’d certainly fail, and you’d be better off embarking on your noble rescue without my hindrance.

janbb's avatar

I always have a problem in saying what I would do in a totally hypothetical situation. How do you know?

ubersiren's avatar

Yes, and I would expect you to burst through a wall like you did in your commercials.

ratboy's avatar

I’d be right behind you.

mrrich724's avatar

Nothing to loooooose.

Nially_Bob's avatar

I would perhaps attempt to fight back when initially being taken hostage (for example if a single attacker were attempting to grab me in a desperate panic) but given the ordinary hostage situation involving a group who had clearly pre-planned it would be unlikely, and all the less likely during the actual situation; I would be too intimated by their organisation and weaponry.

My immediate response to being placed in that scenario would be to attempt to make myself and those I had grown fond of amongst the hostages appear useful to the attackers without making such obvious. If however placed in a situation where it was extremely probable that they intended to execute me or one of the aforementioned people I had become fond of (for example, they placed a gun to one of our heads) I would be more likely to act, but the chances of my succeeding would be low.

To answer your question more directly. If you were specifically planning to rebel against the hostage takers I would very strongly discourage you to do so. If this did not calm your urges then I would state that I refuse to follow but perhaps use your distraction as a means to assist others in escaping.

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