Question

[UltraThunderMan]

If you were suddenly given the power to heal anyone of any disease known to man, would you reveal that power to the world or choose to keep it secret? By secret I mean maybe just using it on loved ones that you know wouldn't tell anyone. I am interested in the morality of such a decision. On the one hand most people would say that they'd want to help folks and become famous, but on the other hand, it wouldn't be so good. You'd never have a moments rest as there'd always be people wanting your help. Also, if you refuse anyone, you might have guilt that they died or because you didn't save them. Such a person would be lonely i'd imagine, because no one would really care about them, but only what they could do. And alot of folks would probably end up hating them as well because they didn't help their loved one. So does the inherent pressure that would be on a person from possessing this gift release them from any social contract or does this mean that they have to sacrifice themselves completely for the greater good?

[RazielKTB]

What U asked is very simmilar to a problem a superhero has (Superman...). I do not think comming public would be a good idea.

[H.H. Holmes]

I would keep my healing powers a secret, but I would probably feel guilty in the long run for not using the powers for others. I think that if you use the powers once, even for someone close to you, then you have opened the argument of favoritism. Whether or not you are conscious of the life and death decision you made, you are messing with fate as a whole. You also cannot possibly heal everyone with a fatal illness or injury on the planet, so you would have to make decisions on who "deserves" to be healed more than someone else, especially if time was critical. The burden of such decision making would be enough to make most go insane, I think. However, I think that a person could come to terms with the life and death decisions by just accepting that they cannot help everyone, nor are they obligated to.

[Agent. Mulder]

What U asked is very simmilar to a problem a superhero has (Superman...). I do not think comming public would be a good idea.

Why wouldnt coming forward with the power to save lives be a good idea?

[Sakari]

Well , I am out of work in 10 months , so to answer your question....It is a no brainer......Either struggle to pay bills and be stressed out , or this........

[RazielKTB]

Because if you come out with such ability, every time someone would be sick U would be obliged to help. If not U would be labeled as a negative person, and not all injuries are meant to be cured. U would be blamed for every sick person that wouldn't be healed even if it would not be in your power to help them.

[Agent. Mulder]

Because if you come out with such ability, every time someone would be sick U would be obliged to help. If not U would be labeled as a negative person, and not all injuries are meant to be cured. U would be blamed for every sick person that wouldn't be healed even if it would not be in your power to help them.

No you wouldnt. Only idiotic people who think you can traverse the world in seconds to heal people would think that. And you wouldnt care what idiotic people think. And you wouldnt always be obliged to help, you just Would if you could. If you cant, its not your fault. Youre still only human too.

[UltraThunderMan]

It would be a problem because if ever for any reason you just wanted to take a day off, people would blame you for things you didn't do at that time. Obviously you can't be everywhere at once, but say you wanted to go on vacation in Brazil with your family and the hospital there asked you to stop by and there were people bothering you all day and you turned em all down. Well suppose some of those were terminal cases and they died. Their families would hate you for that. It might not bother some people but alot of people would probably feel guily. Then, trying to circumvent that guilt, they would just work themselves to the bone and completely lose themselves. That's why I wanted to know if it was just better to not tell anyone ever.

[RacerX13]

If you were suddenly given the power to heal anyone of any disease known to man, would you reveal that power to the world or choose to keep it secret? By secret I mean maybe just using it on loved ones that you know wouldn't tell anyone. I am interested in the morality of such a decision. On the one hand most people would say that they'd want to help folks and become famous, but on the other hand, it wouldn't be so good. You'd never have a moments rest as there'd always be people wanting your help. Also, if you refuse anyone, you might have guilt that they died or because you didn't save them. Such a person would be lonely i'd imagine, because no one would really care about them, but only what they could do. And alot of folks would probably end up hating them as well because they didn't help their loved one. So does the inherent pressure that would be on a person from possessing this gift release them from any social contract or does this mean that they have to sacrifice themselves completely for the greater good?

I can't answer. There are to many variables that aren't mentioned.

How do I heal?

How long does it take?

How did I gain this ability at my age?

If it is something as simple as a quick touch. I would go nation to nation, have everyone line up on the freeway, be slowly driven along with my hand hanging out the window. I would get to see every corner of the inhabitited world. Who can pass that up. You would end up being the person who saved humanity. Especially if you can heal evil.

[UltraThunderMan]

I can't answer. There are to many variables that aren't mentioned.

How do I heal?

How long does it take?

How did I gain this ability at my age?

If it is something as simple as a quick touch. I would go nation to nation, have everyone line up on the freeway, be slowly driven along with my hand hanging out the window. I would get to see every corner of the inhabitited world. Who can pass that up. You would end up being the person who saved humanity. Especially if you can heal evil.

Lets say you can touch a person and heal them of any disease or ailment in less than a minute. Now even if it only takes that time, you'll never get everyone or even most people. And most seriously people aren't going to be able to line up on a freeway. You'd have to mostly go to hospitals. Even if they could line up that way, you'd never have a moments rest, new sick folks pop up every minute. This power might also be a curse. We've already said that some folks would be angry because you didn't save their loved one for whatever reason. They might seek to harm you. Or maybe you'd be kidnapped by some corporation or insane individual seeking to figure out that power. Heck, I wouldn't put it past a government to do just that. It isn't so cut and dry as helping people selfishlessly.

[alphafemale]

Look what happened to "Powder",,remember that movie with the boy..lightning?

[Pauly Dangerously]

I'd tell everyone and start a religion.

[Larving]

I'd reveal it in an instant. Not only would it make it easier to find people to help since they would come to you (with the added stress, of course), but with enough scientific study there may be a way to replicate the ability.

[Ayvah]

Honestly, I would not want use the ability. I think it would be a curse instead of the blessing. It would be like playing God and thats not a responsibility I would want.

[8th_wall]

Morality hmm... For me morality is the process for the continuation of perception within very large time scales. I'd believe that "good perception" would stem from those who have felt death with absolute certainty.

I'd be curious regarding the implications of such a thing on very large time scales particularly focusing on the psychological impact of brushing death.

What I would do is allow organizations to form to create control groups separating people on death's door to people who have a few months to go. I'd probably call these things hospitals and the random systems that stem from the hospitals doctor's practices, support groups etc. I'd then make use of top of the line biomedical, psychological, neurological and statistical sciences to ascertain with very high probability that the person/s in question believe they are going to die.

Keep in mind I am assuming I am a being of high influence within these systems. Secrecy would be paramount otherwise defeating the purpose of "death's brush."

I would investigate the limitations I have regarding how far I can travel/how fast I can heal etc. I'd investigate the average death rate by disease and then structure a system to allow me to effect ~1/3 of people who brush death's door via disease allowing reasonable variance concerning natural selection.

[Odin11]

I would reveal it and use it in a second. Even if it meant not having a moments rest or to my self, I would gladly give up everything, even if it eventually killed me. The lives I could save would far out weight the cost to me. But I would only cure people who are dying or in extreme pain. And I would do this all for free, I would only ask for help with travel and food.

That being said, this is the main problem I have with people who claim to be able to cure people:

1. It tells me that most are out right liars. If they really could cure people you would see them doing the above, they know they can’t so they lie so they don’t have to.

2. The few delusional people who really do believe they can heal, disgust me because they aren’t trying to heal people at the level they should be.