there's no map that tells you how to live your life

Post 7 :: Daily Reflection


In class today, we read more of a long (read: REALLY long) essay called "The Gift." It's about a man, whose actual name escapes me -- Kravinsky, I think it was? -- who donates a lot. That's quite the simplistic way of putting it; there's so much more to the story than that. We haven't finished reading it though. In fact, we're not even halfway through it.

But so far...

We find that Kravinsky runs off to donate his kidney to a woman he barely knew. He considers anyone who can donate a kidney, who doesn't donate it, a murderer. I disagree with this. I realize that yes, someone's kidney can save someone else's life. But think about the risks involved. How much should we give to someone we don't know? How much is required of us? Why should we feel so compelled to give?

There's a fine line between those two options (murderer vs. just not doing anything). It may sound selfish, but really, what is our responsibility? Why put our lives on the line for someone you don't know? Yes, it's a nice thing to do. Yes, life is important. But aren't our own lives important, too? How can someone have such little regard for his own life?

That shows disrespect to all those who love him.

Flagrant disregard for one's own life does not only have the potential to harm oneself. It hurts everyone connected to that one person -- kind of like poking a hole in a web; there's one hole, and technically, only one spot got damaged. But the entire web suffers as a result.

Of course, that's getting a little off-topic. (With consideration for the original route.)

But I suppose I can use it to find another point:

Life is valuable, but whose life is worth more? Should we risk one to save another? If that one life risked is lost in the process, but another life is saved, isn't the result the same? You've still lost a life.

Or is that just the pessimistic way of looking at it?