Quote (J-Breakz)
Would you think about death when your son is hanging from a cliff? No, you think about saving him so you feel good that he is okay.
As I have never been in such a situation I wouldn't know, but I would actually think that, even if only for a second, I would have acknowledged that I am going to probably die before making my decision. For example, let's say someone is about to get shot and he's too far away for you to knock him out of the way, but you can jump in the bullet's path and use your head to stop or deflect the bullet just enough so that it doesn't hit him. Let's also say that you are under the impression that you will die instantly after the bullet hits you, and this proves true. Let's also say you are an atheist so you don't believe in an afterlife and so you don't believe you will see him when from heaven. Let's also assume you do not know this person. So now you have no selfish reason to sacrifice yourself because you are well aware that you will be dead and you will get nothing out of that person surviving because nothing is going to happen as a reward for your act. It will be the last moment of your life and you won't be able to see what happens from that moment on. For all you know, maybe there was another bullet and the second one was still used to kill him anyways.