The Road

In The Road the main characters are struggling to stay alive after nuclear war has caused a nuclear winter to envelop the entire planet.  When is enough enough if you are in a post-apocalyptic situation and possibly the last person on earth? When do you make the decision to quit, or do you keep fighting to stay alive day by day?  Would you want to press on and survive? Or you would rather just give up on life?



78 comments:

  1. ChiliBeanMay 25, 2012 at 8:43 AM

    I would begin to give up once there is nothing to live for, in the road's case, once the boy dies the man has nothing to live for (and vise versa)

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    1. CaptainAmericaMay 25, 2012 at 9:12 AM

      Right, if you were in the post-apocalypse with another person and he or she died you would have no motivation to live as you wouldn't be focused on helping them survive.

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    2. Kiwi4everMay 25, 2012 at 9:16 AM

      Then again, the boy does find a way to go on. SO maybe he does have something ot live for.

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    3. Swagitude3May 29, 2012 at 9:54 AM

      The only reason the boy is still alive is because of the man and at that point you would not wan to let the man who saved you down by just giving up and dieing.. there is always hope even in the darkest of situations...

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    4. Bieber FeverMay 30, 2012 at 9:49 AM

      I'd keep fighting as long as I could to live, except if I knew there was 0% chance of it, but if somehow I could live I'd keep on trucking..

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  2. Swagitude3May 25, 2012 at 8:43 AM

    After reading this book I have descided that the level "enough" is when you have nothing to fight for.

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    1. ChiliBeanMay 25, 2012 at 9:00 AM

      What would be the deciding factor to get to the level of having nothing to fight for.

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    2. FootballRocks25May 25, 2012 at 9:12 AM

      There is always something t5o fight for. Your survival and future. I feel like you should never give up because there is something to attempt to pursue.

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    3. ilikecatsMay 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

      When your only future is nuclear winter, does that really count as something to live for?

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    4. FootballRocks25May 25, 2012 at 3:39 PM

      Yes it does because every amount of happiness that you cherish no matter how small is better than none. And when you are dead there is none of this. There is always something to live for no matter how small. You must always have hope.

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    5. Kiwi4everMay 29, 2012 at 9:42 AM

      The tough question is deciding whether one's SELF is worth fighting for. You always have that and so there IS ALWAYS something to live for. The hard part is determining is YOU are worth it to yourself.

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    6. FootballRocks25May 29, 2012 at 10:02 AM

      Yes i agree and that depends on one self's opinion. For me, I would not give up on all that I have gone through and continue to push forward.

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  3. xKINGwasabixMay 25, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    I would keep going until there was nothing else to go on to because there might be something at the end of the rainbow and I could get lucky. However if all was lost and there was nothing to live for, I would end it.

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    1. Bieber FeverMay 30, 2012 at 9:51 AM

      I agree sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, and perserverance and faith can go a long way..

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  4. Professor MeowingtonMay 25, 2012 at 8:55 AM

    I think I would fight my hardest to survive for others but if I was by myself I would give up immediately.

    -Professor Meowington

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    1. xKINGwasabixMay 25, 2012 at 9:01 AM

      Thats true, it would be much easier to live if you had something/someone to live for. I think it helped the man live because he had the kid and they had a goal in mind.

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    2. ChiliBeanMay 25, 2012 at 9:04 AM

      I guess it would depend on how good the relationship is. By the end of the book, the relationship begins to deplete.

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  5. liampayne28May 25, 2012 at 8:58 AM

    I agree with Professor Meowington, if I was with a loved one or a friend I would fight very hard to survive, but if I was alone I would probably give up in hopes of only remembering the positives in my life before a nuclear winter.

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    1. ChiliBeanMay 25, 2012 at 9:02 AM

      It's always easier to give up once you are alone.

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    2. AnonymousMay 26, 2012 at 6:49 PM

      I agree, because in the book the father fought until his very last breath to keep his son alive. If he had been alone, i'd guess he would have given up in the beginning.

      crazycat11

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    3. CaptainAmericaMay 29, 2012 at 10:00 AM

      It's hard to survive when you have no motive

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    4. Bieber FeverMay 30, 2012 at 9:53 AM

      I believe if I was fighting to survive with a loved one or relative I'd have something worth living and fighting for...and if I could save my loved one's life over me I'd do it

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  6. VoltronMay 25, 2012 at 8:58 AM

    I would, in this case, settle down in a place with food and try to survive because little life is far better than no life at all. If this was not an option, I would try to find others in the area to settle down with and try to survive.

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    1. Professor MeowingtonMay 25, 2012 at 9:00 AM

      Agreed but what if there was nobody left? What would happen then? There's no way of creating more life if there is only one person.

      -Professor Meowington

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    2. VoltronMay 25, 2012 at 9:05 AM

      Honestly, if I was the very last person on Earth, I would probably just settle down and wait for food to run out and life to end but I don't think I would kill myself. That would probably be my last option.

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    3. Professor MeowingtonMay 25, 2012 at 9:09 AM

      Understandable but after the food runs out you would starve and slowly die and if it were me, I wouldn't want to drag out my death and be in pain.

      -Professor Meowington

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    4. lliampayne28May 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

      @Voltron:
      How would you find it satisfying just waiting to die, personally I would rather end sooner with better memories of life.

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    5. VoltronMay 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

      That is a very good point but you also have to take into consideration that you would be the last person on Earth. That means that there would be tons of food and shelter.

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    6. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

      I believe that you would never know if you were the last person on earth. There could be another person around the corner just waiting to be found. If you give up and die, then you are giving up on everything you have enver lived for. People are out there, you just have to find them.


      CookieMonster

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    7. AnonymousMay 28, 2012 at 9:08 PM

      I disagree. Maybe you do find someone? Yes things would be great. But in a situation like this, what are the chances? I would end it all, because i would rather be dead then live alone searching for any signs of life.

      Lalapolloza

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    8. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 9:56 AM

      In the book the road, they come across people multiple times. Sometimes they try to kill them but other time they are just people doing the ame thing. trying to survive.


      CookieMonster

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    9. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 9:58 AM

      If you are would rather die, then you are saying that everything that anyone has ever done for you had no point. I would want to have the strangth to persevir and help revive the human race.


      CookieMonster

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    10. VoltronMay 29, 2012 at 10:01 AM

      I agree with CookieMonster but we are talking about being the very last human alive. There would be no chance for further human growth.

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    11. Bieber FeverMay 30, 2012 at 9:54 AM

      I agree but if there was nothing worth fighting for I'd probably just see how long I could live and fight for.

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  7. Kiwi4everMay 25, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    It seems like there is something innate in humans that pushes us to survive, it is like an instinct from before civilization occurred.

    At the same time the wife/mom walked out and purposefully died of exposure before the real hardship has even began.Maybe some of us just have more willpower than others, and some have more of a will to survive.

    Personally, I might not have the willpower to survive such a situation, having a child, however, would completely change everything. If the man did not have the boy it is likely he would not have survived as long as he did.

    If I was the mom in the story I could not have simply walked out on my kid, however if I had no one dependent on me than I doubt I would have lasted long. In this situation the world will never be as we would have once known it, there would be NO HOPE for ever having what was once yours.

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    1. VoltronMay 25, 2012 at 9:07 AM

      I agree with Kiwi4ever. If I had a child with me, I would do everything in my power to keep him/her alive. It doesn't matter how hungry we would be but just as long as we were together and alive, that would be ok.

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    2. Swagitude3May 29, 2012 at 9:56 AM

      But if you were to die wouldn't you want your kid to continue on fighting and not to give up. Even when it seems all hope is lost.

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  8. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:00 AM

    I think every single person has a least some desire to live ans survive despite the hardships and pain that come with survival. When people give up hope that's when people stop trying. I am not a person who gives up easily so I would most likely keep fighting to survive.

    runner12

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    1. catssaymeowMay 25, 2012 at 9:25 AM

      I too would have fought for my life, but does giving up hope always mean you stop trying? Sometimes we lose sight of hope, but keep trying anyways.. I agree that we all have the desire to live no matter what we go through.

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  9. ilikecatsMay 25, 2012 at 9:02 AM

    In the book there's nothing left to live for. They basically live to fight off death; nothing good happens to them. What is the point in living so long if all you're doing is barely surviving. Even if they do make it to old age, it will have been a life of misery and starvation.

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    1. 48430:96May 25, 2012 at 9:11 AM

      So living as long as you can with your son; only family member left is "nothing" to live for?

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    2. AnonymousMay 26, 2012 at 6:56 PM

      It is not nothing to live for, but when things are not going your way, wouldn't you not want to live? As a father you try to give the best for your child, and what if death is the better option?

      crazycat11

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    3. Kiwi4everMay 29, 2012 at 9:49 AM

      I agree with crazycat11, but I think the man did what he did in the book (keeping the son alive) because he knows that he can't decide the boy's fate for him. The boy has to decide if he wants to live or die, especially because the boy has never known anything else.

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    4. Bieber feverMay 30, 2012 at 9:55 AM

      I agree but how could you tell in the situation that there was nothing to live for?

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  10. 48430:96May 25, 2012 at 9:02 AM

    There is no moment when you should quit trying and give up your will to live. One should always strive the best to make sure they have the best chance toward a positive outcome; which in this case would be living.

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  11. mickeyMay 25, 2012 at 9:03 AM

    I would want to keep fighting and never give up hope. If i could just stay alive one more day you never know what would happen. i would also want to try to help other people who wanted help and try to establish some sort of community because it would be a lot more helpful to work together. I think freedom and ability to live is always worth fighting for.

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    1. xyz478May 25, 2012 at 9:14 AM

      I couldn't agree more with your statement and the idea of establishing a government is a good idea.

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    2. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 10:54 PM

      But what if the only people you find is old and couldn't work like the old man in The Road? Then you would have more responsibilities to take care of by yourself, such as sustaining your community. The burden will be bigger for you since you will have to find more food to feed them.

      Ak-man

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  12. CaptainAmericaMay 25, 2012 at 9:03 AM

    If I were alone I would not have much hope and would probably give up within the first few days, but if you have another surviving with you the situation changes. You feel that you have a responsibility to keep the other person safe and alive as well as keeping yourself alive.

    CaptainAmerica

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    1. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:11 AM

      I agree, sometimes people are more motivated to help someone else then to help them self. Also what is the point in surviving if your the only one who does?

      runner12

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  13. SelenaGomezWantsMeMay 25, 2012 at 9:05 AM

    In the book the man finds the point of enough. Throughout this epic novel he has dealt with a cough, a crying child, starvation, and people trying to kill him every step of the way. The line of "enough" was only when he got shot in the leg and had to make his own stitches. He did everything he could to stay alive. Really he kept fighting until his last breath. In my opinion there is never a true line of "enough"

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    1. Bieber FeverMay 30, 2012 at 9:56 AM

      I agree and there never is a true line of "Can't"..If you "Believe."

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  14. FootballRocks25May 25, 2012 at 9:06 AM

    You must push forward and continue life. It is simply wrong to quit on everything you have worked on throughout your entire life. Any life is better than no life. Also a great quote is "It will all work out and be good in the end, if it is not good, it is not the end."

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  15. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:09 AM

    This situation is difficult because your own life is at risk. If my body was able to keep going and I was strong mentally and physically I would not give up. If my body was weak and I could not go further I would make the decision to quit. I would try to strive to move forward and to keep myself healthy for my ongoing journey trying to live.

    dogsaybark123

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  16. pancake12May 25, 2012 at 9:09 AM

    I think that all human beings have the desire to survive no matter what the circumstances. You may give up at some point, but not before you have given up all you possibly could have to live. In the case of The Road, people are even eating their new born babies to survive. People don't just lay down and give up without trying.

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  17. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:12 AM

    As humans we have a natural instinct to stay alive. its hard to just give up and die when you have a possibility and an opportunity to live and try. it's hard to give up and just stop.

    Gone67

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  18. xyz478May 25, 2012 at 9:12 AM

    I understand the point of which people say that there may be no more point to live but life is nothing to simply give up on this is something very important to every human which we only have one.

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  19. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:14 AM

    I would probably try really hard to survive, not because i think I could, and not because I would have things to live for, but because the fact is that death is a scary thought. most people would want to keep living only because they do not want to die.Survival is instinct, something we cannot deny,and all animals have a natural drive to survive whether they like it or not.

    bluesparkles15

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  20. xKINGwasabixMay 25, 2012 at 9:14 AM

    It was just like what Eli said in the book: Nobody wants to live in this, but no body wants to die either. That wasn't his exact quote but it was the same idea. I think this is very true in this situation.

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    1. AnonymousMay 26, 2012 at 6:52 PM

      I strongly agree with this quote also, point being that death is a scary concept to most humans, so they press on to survive.

      crazycat11

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    2. Bieber FeverMay 30, 2012 at 9:58 AM

      In the Book of Eli, the man was blind with struggle and diversity but it was how he fought and reacted that kept him alive.

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  21. pancake12May 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

    I agree that having the child increases the mans desire to survive because he feels responsible for his life, but I still think if it was just the man alone, he would continue on by himself as well. Even though he doesn't have anyone or thing to life for, he would still live for himself.

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  22. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

    If i was caught in a post apocalyptic, id rather just not live in a world where you are one your own, struggling to survive.

    Lalapolloza

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  23. AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:15 AM

    I believe that enough is enough when You are the last person on earth and you have nothing to live for. When you bare fighting for something important that you love and care for you will want to stay alive until you know that they are safe. In the road the only reason the man stays alive is to insure the safety of his son. One should never quit until they reach their goal. Living day by day is tough but necessary in a survival situation.
    - Big Boy Nigel

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    1. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 10:03 AM

      How would you even know if you are the last person on earth? when everything else fails there is always hope! There's always a possibly good outcome.

      Gone67

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  24. DogsMay 25, 2012 at 9:16 AM

    You should never give up in life. Not at all, and especially never give up on life, thats the biggest mistake that people make in life. Their will always be beter and sunnier days ahead, but before you get to them you might have to go through some rain to get to the good days. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

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    1. xKINGwasabixMay 29, 2012 at 9:54 AM

      That is very true, but in a time like this what if you were the last person alive. There would be no one to talk to or meet. Everything is dead around you so that doesn't help with the mood either. I would try to live but if every day got worse, I don't know if I would want to.

      Delete
  25. catssaymeowMay 25, 2012 at 9:17 AM

    I think that no matter how bad the situation gets, there is always something to live for. Everyone has a purpose to fufill and giving up is just an easy way out. I would keep fighting for my life until I believed that I couldn't do anything more.

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    1. FootballRocks25May 25, 2012 at 3:41 PM

      I agree with you. This also relates to Speak with taking the easy way out. I believe our society needs to become more focused on what is right than purely the easiest thing to accomplish. You always have to keep fighting rather than give up.

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  26. AnonymousMay 26, 2012 at 6:45 PM

    If i were in the situation of surviving a post-apocalyptic winter, and everything that I knew and loved was gone, i would make the decision to give up and die. This is because if there is nothing left to live for, then what is the point of living?

    crazycat11

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    1. mylittlepony911May 29, 2012 at 4:58 PM

      I believe you underestimate the willpower it takes to commit suicide and the willpower it takes to just sit there and die. While I cannot speak from experience myself I can tell you that it takes an unimaginable amount of willpower to not only commit suicide, but also to just lay there and die over several days. It is quite possibly takes even more determination to do that than to just tough it out and continue on.

      Delete
  27. 48430:96May 29, 2012 at 10:01 AM

    I agree with everyone who would do everything they could to survive and just keep thinking positive thoughts. These are the type people who would survive something such as this. Just think if you decided to just die, and a month later the post-apocalyptic winter ended; you could still be living...

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    1. PinkSparklesMay 29, 2012 at 5:02 PM

      However, if there is nothing saying that the nuclear winter will end, and you keep thinking that maybe tomorrow it will stop, or the day after that, or the day after that, you will be going around in circles wasting your time and will drive you crazy no knowing when it will end. It would give you false hope that the world will get better, which is even worse than giving up and dying.

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  28. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 10:03 AM

    In this situation I think I would do everything I could to stay alive. Giving up isn't the right thing to do because you never know what will happen if you would've stayed alive. To me, giving up is worse then failing because you have the choice. So if I were traveling the road I would never give up looking for hope.

    Squarepants

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  29. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    I think that it was the right thing for the man to do trying to stay alive for his child. However when you have nothing to live for it is easy to give up hope. If everyone you loved was gone, it might be easier to give up.

    Turtlessaynothing

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  30. mylittlepony911May 29, 2012 at 4:33 PM

    Its human nature to want to survive. I wouldn't give up on life no matter how bad it got. You only have one chance to do with it what you want and there can still be joy even when everything else is lost. People have survived in savage times like these where they had little food and it can be done again.

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  31. PinkSparklesMay 29, 2012 at 4:58 PM

    You fight for survival until a certain point, but after that, when there is nothing/nobody to live for, it is futile to keep trying when you have no hope.

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  32. AnonymousMay 29, 2012 at 10:21 PM

    I would probably give up living at some point. It is because there simply isn't anything to live for. There are no one that is giving me motivation to live, and even if I decided to live I would not be able to leave offsprings because I would be the only one alive on Earth. Humans would be extinct even if I choose to live rather than die.

    Ak-man

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