Do you have a Room 101?

**Rich86** · May 18, 2009, 03:25 PM

We all have our values, our principles, our own 'morality.' Most us like to believe that there are some things we would never do.

I would never cut the throat of a baby
I would never kill the woman I love
I would never torture another human being

How true is this?

Can you imagine yourself doing one of those things? I mean, really imagine?

The reason I ask is this;

At what point would your own set of 'rules' cease to exist?
At what point would you do anything?
Is it true that we all have a breaking point, that each of us has our own 'Room 101' - something that *we* find so terrifying we would do ANYTHING to escape from?

Faced with the most horrible thing imaginable (to you) - would you be Winston, and give in? Or do you think even in the face of something truely horrific, you could 'hold out' ?

**Hippolord** · May 18, 2009, 04:54 PM

Well this is odd for me, as i am a moral relativist, i belive as you said that everyone has there own sets opf morals, and that most of the time we try to abide by these. I being a moral relativist do have my own morals, but the difference is that i do not hold illusions that these morals are either right or universal.

Would i call hitler evil, no, would i try and stop him, yes only if he infringed upon my morals. But even then i know that he is no more evil than I am for trying to stop him, for in what he did he was just prusuing his own moralities, which is something as you said yourself, we all try to do.

Also i am Very Pragmatic.

After that short and vague description of my moral beliefs, i will attempt to answer this question: In the end i do not say i would not like to think i would hold out, any more than i like to hold false dillusions about my own strength of will. But even as such, i do not belive such a notion is a flase dillusion for me, do to the fact that my own morals lead me to be very pragmatic, i would do as he said, but doing as he said would not be going against my own very interchangable and pragmatic values, as in the end i would be attempting to keep myself safe.

I do not belive this to be selfish, in any form of the word. As i am just doind as i think to be right, So should i not be heralded, and cheered for as i do everything within my power to hold my own morals? Even if they do not agree with yours.

**shogger** · May 19, 2009, 07:08 PM

I don't know what it is, I guess my "room 101" might be two slowly turning drills inching closer and closer to my eyes. In that case, I would give up in a heartbeat.

**C-Rob** · May 19, 2009, 09:07 PM

HA! I dont' know what my breaking point is, but a two week empty stomach is probably close. The threat of imminent death in any way is probably enough for absolutely anything. As fed up with life as I am, or at least was this afternoon, I will not let myself sit idly if an affront to my life is made.

**The Alchemist** · May 19, 2009, 09:36 PM

I'm an ordinary guy, not a hero from the Illiad. I'll give in eventually.

**guerra** · May 20, 2009, 01:16 AM

Hmmm, well I'd never let myself be captured, that's for sure. I'd die fighting rather than be tortured.

I have very few unbreakable rules:
Never abuse women or children
Don't waste food

Rest is fair game.

**Lord of Lost Socks** · May 20, 2009, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by guerra

Hmmm, well I'd never let myself be captured, that's for sure. I'd die fighting rather than be tortured.

I have very few unbreakable rules:
Never abuse women or children
Don't waste food

Rest is fair game.

Food's more important than people? If a man would hang down on a cliff and was sure to fall to his death and 5 metres from him there would be apples rolling down the cliff into lava. Would you save the apples?

Also. I'd give probably give in. However, if it was possible, I might just commit suicide before I had to give up my morals. I don't fear a quick death. because it really can't be feared.

**guerra** · May 20, 2009, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Alarim

Food's more important than people? If a man would hang down on a cliff and was sure to fall to his death and 5 metres from him there would be apples rolling down the cliff into lava. Would you save the apples?

Also. I'd give probably give in. However, if it was possible, I might just commit suicide before I had to give up my morals. I don't fear a quick death. because it really can't be feared.

Depends, how good are the apples? Do I need the apples to survive? Does someone else need them to survive? I've never not finished a meal in my life, not even as a child. I don't let things go to waste. It's one of my unbreakable rules.

More importantly, who is this guy? Why is he hanging on a cliff? Do I know him? Is he a bad person? A good person? If he's a strange of course I'd help him, but if someone pointed a gun at me and told me not to help him, well I wouldn't help him. If someone pointed a gun at me and told me to hit a woman, I'd tell them to go to hell.

**Gromovnik** · May 20, 2009, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by guerra

Hmmm, well I'd never let myself be captured, that's for sure. I'd die fighting rather than be tortured.

I have very few unbreakable rules:
Never abuse women or children
Don't waste food

Rest is fair game.

Me to. I would mow down those mofo's with my Uzies, and then I would kill their leader with my samurai sword. With death metal in the backgroud, of course. That would be cool.

yeah!

**Thanatos** · May 20, 2009, 01:12 PM

I do not know what my breaking point is, and I hope I never find out.

**Manco** · May 20, 2009, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Thanatos

I do not know what my breaking point is, and I hope I never find out.

SAme here, I'm also afraid that breaking point might not be that far (then again this very fear could make sure it's going to be further as I would not want to give in)

**CobraStallone** · May 20, 2009, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Rich86

Faced with the most horrible thing imaginable (to you) - would you be Winston, and give in? Or do you think even in the face of something truely horrific, you could 'hold out' ?

I just read that book recently, and they didn't give much choice, he was weakened by years of malnutricion, and physical and mental torture, to finally face off with what he considered to be the worst thing that can exist. So no I could not hold out, and I severly doubt anyone could, as much as they might say they would.

**0N3** · May 20, 2009, 05:20 PM

Im sick... i could do anything in the world to people i feel deserve it (as long as i knew i wouldn't get caught)
But, nice people or people who i feel sorry for i would rather want to help (i don't wanna kill random people on the street)... However if i was in the military for example i would do anything i was ordered to do, unless i thought i would get charged for warcrimes or i would betray whatever nation i was serving...

**Hakon** · May 20, 2009, 07:46 PM

Can someone with no morals have a breaking point? That is the more important question.

**Manco** · May 20, 2009, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Hakon

Can someone with no morals have a breaking point? That is the more important question.

Besides true amoral people being extremely rare, I don't see what morals have to do with this?

Fear and morals are completely unrelated

**scottishranger** · May 20, 2009, 08:18 PM

Everybody has something they fear more than anything else in the world, and they would do anything to avoid it. Thats what Room 101 is.

Everyone has this. Its not something some silly philosophy can overcome.

**Visna** · May 20, 2009, 08:24 PM

Pushed far enough, everyone have a breaking point. I just hope I never find mine.

**Hakon** · May 20, 2009, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by scottishranger

Everybody has something they fear more than anything else in the world, and they would do anything to avoid it. Thats what Room 101 is.

Everyone has this. Its not something some silly philosophy can overcome.

There is always an exception. If you went through every person on this earth I am sure you could find one that lacks a breaking point. You can even go as far to argue that none of us have breaking points at an early age because we lack the intelligence to fear something.

**Confederate Jeb** · May 20, 2009, 08:40 PM

Is it true that we all have a breaking point, that each of us has our own 'Room 101' - something that *we* find so terrifying we would do ANYTHING to escape from?

For many people, perhaps. But there are people who will not give in, and rightly so, at any "breaking point".