Context: So I just remember this after digging through memories.
So my mother was watching/reading some weird social media thing and there was this this question was asked to guys in China, and it’s supposed to be a dilemma because if you say save your mother, your girlfriend will break up with you, if you say save your girlfriend, your mom’s gonna disown you (cuz filial piety).
And so anyways, I think I was like 15 or something, and my mom asked me the question… I kinda froze because idk what to say… it was such a weird question. Then mom was like: “Of course you have to save me first, I raised you, remember? You only have one mother in this world.” … Something something… “People with blood relations to you comes first”.
Now reflecting on that memory, that was so awkward…
Ever been asked this question?
How would you answer if your mom asked that?
If either my girlfriend/wife or my mother asked me that question, I would refuse to answer and instead ask them why they were asking it. I’d explain that that’s a very nasty question to ask because it’s a loyalty test, even if they don’t mean it as one, and it puts me in a very awkward position—why would they want to do that? I’d ask them to consider how they’d feel if either their mother or spouse asked them that.
And if they didn’t immediately see my point, that would slightly lower my opinion of them, to be honest.
I don’t have a partner and I’m a PADI certified rescue diver.
If I see my mother drowning I’m going to hang around until I’m sure she’s fully dead.
If I see my mother drowning I’m going to hang around until I’m sure she’s fully dead.
Oh jeez, how abusive was her from 1 to 10?
My mom can swim and my girlfriend doesn’t exist
First, the most honest answer is that it’s a shitty question. This ‘Sophie’s Choice’ promise is inherently designed to disrespect someone. In real life, you just react and try to save both, most likely based on who is a better swimmer, is closer, etc.
But the question between who you prioritize is valid. The answer is subjective, of course, but my advice would be that you prioritize your mother over a casual girlfriend/bf, but you prioritize a finance or spouse over your mother. And this isn’t hard to explain to Mom. I did. I said, “Hey Mom: remember how Dad always put Grandma in front of you because he was such a wimp, and it made you feel absolutely terrible? Well good news: you raised a better man than she did.”
She didn’t love it, but she got it. And she respected it.
First, the most honest answer is that it’s a shitty question. This ‘Sophie’s Choice’ promise is inherently designed to disrespect someone. In real life, you just react and try to save both, most likely based on who is a better swimmer, is closer, etc.
I remember a few years ago when there seemed to be a bunch of big predictions with self-driving cars. And the dilemmas that people presented were ridiculous.
“Should the automatic car swerve off the road and onto the sidewalk so that it hits the homeless drug addict instead of the doctor who is also a father of 3?” Ah yes, because the car is going to have all that information, and because swerving into something is a better option that full application of the brakes.
You notice how car people never ask themselves if a given speed is unsafe
If my mom asked I would say her, but this is a f-ed up question to ask someone.
It is easy for me to answer, my mom is old. My wife can probably tread water while I get my mom to shore.
I told my wife this and she replied that she is a strong, independent woman who can swim perfectly well on her own. The right answer is that I should grab my mom and start bringing her towards the shore while my wife swims ahead and helps me pull her in once we get to shallower water.
“Double the life insurance baby!”
No. My wife doesn’t ask bullshit questions just to start arguments out of insecurity. And my mother is dead. No, she did not drown.
Pshhh, easy. Same person.
If my mom asked it, my response would be my girlfriend. If my girlfriend asked it, id say save my mom. If they both asked it, I’d get a beer at the bar and let them both drown. Cause fuck you if you’re going to play those kinds of games with me.
If they both asked…
If I’m unlucky enough to have both women think this is a good question to ask, then I think I would realistically drown myself.
The only right answer is that I would save both of them by drowning myself, having them use my corpse as a emergency floatation device. 2 weeks after the occurrence, they would begin smelling brackish water no matter where they are, followed by brief glances of what appears to be a disgruntled boyfriend/son in the corner of the room as I begin to haunt them for asking me such a stupid question.
Mom. I can always get a new girlfriend.
My mom is dead though, so the girlfriend.
I don’t have a girlfriend though, so I guess I’ll just drown myself.
My mom would probably be very angry if I choose to save her over my wife.
My wife can swim ten times better then me tho, so she probably ends up saving both my mom and me
Yup. Same here. I suspect she’d rather die than lose the oppertunity to become a grandparent.
My girlfriend. My mother is already dead.
“The one who sucks the dick makes the rules”
Sweet Home Alabama plays in the background 💀
When you ask your dad and he tells you to ask your sister
I’d save my wife, and my mom would absolutely want me to.
