Now this question got me thinking, would I give my life so that someone else may live? Even though it's a loaded question that opens up the gate of overthinking, one can’t simply say they would rather give up their lives or they just won’t. It all depends on the circumstances of the situation.
Let’s assume, I visited a bank, which shortly after flooded with armed robbers and took everyone hostage. Now at one point of their bargaining with local authorities, they decided to kill one individual from the group. But to create a more sinister scenario, they decided to let the victims choose who they wanted to kill off or just ask for a volunteer who would die for others. Now, in this case, instead of sending off a man who provides for his family or a woman whose children depend on her or any adults who financially support their parents/partners or children with potential futures, the best bet would be me as no one is financially dependent on me. My death would create less chaos and save countless families from being broken. Yes, there would be some people who would mourn for a while, but no ones life would get completely ruined.
Now, if the scenario shifts towards a serial killer who is after two or more individuals, including me and if I have personally no connection with the other fellow victims, then of course I would rather think about my own safety than giving up my life. I am not dying the painfully sinister death for some complete strangers. No sir, no. I am running the hell out of here with my life.
But if it turns out to be one of the people I deeply care about, then yes. I would rather die in the hope that they live on with their lives peacefully instead of dealing with the losses and grief while having the knowledge that I had the option to save them but in the end I didn’t. That knowledge with the ocean full of guilt would be far more worse than the death itself. And no way in hell I am dealing with that kind of pain.
In conclusion, dying for others really depends on who I am dying for. But in reality, dying for others is easy, it’s living for others that truly tests ones endurance and willpower.