R&P: Would you rather be (fully) deaf, or dead?

Question

Of course no one WANTS to be deaf or die, but what if you were forced to pick? I see so many people here say "Music is my life, I'd die without it!" Is that true? Would you choose death over being alive but unable to listen to music?

Looking for well-explained answers please.

Answer 1

deaf

Answer 2

Fully Deaf.  I work in the deaf community, and sign.  They get by just fine.  Sure I would miss music..but regardless of what some silly fools say..there IS more to life than music.

BQ- Born Deaf.  Deaf culture is a very stratified place, and you will never be fully accepted into it unless you were born deaf.

And Deaf parties have plenty of loud music.

**Jackie...what the heck are you talking about?  Its true most people BORN deaf don't speak english (or other languages) but some do vocalize..and for those who go deaf..it does not affct your speach centers.

Wow..not only is there a TD troll about..but there are some amazingly shallow people on R&P

Answer 3

I would choose deaf.

Answer 4

are you kidding me??? DEAF at least ill be able to see, smell, touch, love,,,,should i go on?? lol :)

Im a musician so i am artistic, if i went deaf i would probably be an artist, paint or draw. Wait i do that now too :P

Answer 5

DIE

Answer 6

Deaf.

There's much more to life than music. Yes it's great, but you can live without it.

Answer 7

deaf

I like to add that jackie uneder the moon. you mean deaf right?  

Answer 8

Death, so I can meat John Lennon, Sid Vicious, Kurt Cobain, and Jimi Henadrix.  :]

Answer 9

I almost died a few years ago, severe internal bleeding, and it is no joking matter. I also deal with death as a profession. I am a long tem care/hospice nurse, have been for the last 15 years. Life is to be lived.

Deafness would be a disappointment, but I could still read biographies of musicians. That would be enough. And I could remember what I heard up to that point which would be a comfort.

Answer 10

Fully Deaf? God I guess I could try it out but I'd mostly likely kill myself in the end.  Being able to hear and love music and THEN have it stripped from you is not my idea of life.

Answer 11

Uh, dead.

Because without music, I'll die.

Answer 12

Honestly, I'd rather be deaf. There's so much more to my life than music alone. I write, draw, read. To me, the truly devastating loss would be my eyesight, as so much of what I love revolves around vision. I wouldn't be able to go to museums, or read a book, or write, or see what was online. Listening is only one form of communication, there are countless others that I could employ. Not being able to look at a painting, a sculpture, or to read a poem...ah! That would be awful.

I could still watch movies, just with the subtitles, and the memories of music would be enough for me. Besides, there are the vibrations I could feel as well.

BQ: Lose my hearing as a teenager. The memory would do me well. Better to know what I am missing than to spend my whole life imagining what life would be like with it.

Answer 13

I'd choose being deaf.

Although music is one of my favourite things, it's not the deciding factor over life or death.

Answer 14

That would mean i couldn't be listening to John Lennon's sweet voice right now... that's means no "All You Need is Love" and "I Should've Known Better"... NOOO!!!

I'm not sure i could stay sane very long without The Beatles' music.

Still, though, even for the deaf people, living is a great experience.

I'd probably rather be deaf, i mean, i can still listen to music in my head, right? It's better than nothing!  

Answer 15

Honestly, I would rather be deaf. I would always have the hope that maybe, someday, they'll be a cure and that would keep me going through the pain of not hearing music. Also, I've always heard that deaf people feel vibrations of music, and base their tastes on that, so your life wouldn't be completely music free.

Anyways, even though music is amazing, and a huge part of my life, there's so much more. You can appreciate films, sculptures, paintings, etc. You can definitely have s*x without hearing, and that's something I have yet to look forward to.

I would much rather be born deaf, and never know what I'm missing. I could never stand hearing music throughout my childhood, and then having it taken away when you're a teenager. Imagine how it would feel if the tapes of a lost Beatles album resurfaced, and you couldn't hear it. That would be h**l.

Answer 16

Music should be FELT, not just heard.  So I'd rather be deaf.  That won't take the music out of my head like death surely would....lol

Wasn't Beethoven or Mozart deaf?  Either way, they were much better at composing music than decomposing corpses...  ;P  If I were deaf, I could still 'feel' the music inside me that I write every day.  If I were dead; I would be well...  dead.  And dead is probally no fun (unless of course, The Heaven's Got Some h**l To Raise Band consist of Jim, Janis, Jimi, Ben, Michael, h**l Elvis, George, John and Laura 'freaking' Branigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LO!L  

Answer 17

fully deaf, you would still be alive and life is great on most days.... as far as your other question i would rather lose it later in my life than never heard at all. and i love music but i mean things that are a little more simple, like hearing the birds sing, the rain fall, the animals in the woods, the first person that told you they loved you, tears and laughter. you get my point, music is great but life is greater

Answer 18

id rather die.

i could be deaf i know some sign language..

and deaf people are still really happy. like i work with a deaf person, and i dont know sues pretty cool and shes super nice, and one day i figured out that she cant listen to music like i can.

but like when your deaf you also cant talk.

so not being able to talk without using sign language would do it for me.

i could go without listening to music..

Answer 19

I would choose deafness.

Although it would suck to not have music, life is FAR more important.

Honestly, if anyone answers death, I question their honesty. How can you say that music/sound is more important then living a healthy life, experiencing love from family and friends, etc. I know some peoples' situation in life isn't as blessed as mine and they may be experiencing some problems, and I truly am sorry for those people, but I don't think anyone can say that listening to music is more important than family, love, education, etc.

Answer 20

I would rather be deaf. I may not be able to hear music anymore but I'll still get to see all the wonderful things in life

Answer 21

I would be (fully) deaf. Being able to see people and their facial expression (joy, delight, sad, confuse...etc...) or things is more rewarding, than just hearing the stuff they are saying or music :)

Answer 22

I would rather be deaf. There's so much beauty to see in the world, besides, i would work to overcome the disability, and other senses like smell and taste and touch would be enhanced.

Answer 23

no doubt about it! fully deaf!!! i know sign language, and why not make life the best you can make it instead of just decide to die!

Answer 24

this is seriously not a logical question...i mean i cant believe people would rather die than be in this beautiful world minus not having their hearing. not having your hearing is one minor thing, you can learn to live around it. i mean sure i miss some things, but it seems the main concern is music, and last time i checked i can still hear music, its called vibrations, and its just as good i would say :)

i for sure would rather be deaf than dead, its a no brainer

Answer 25

Be deaf.

Sight is much more important.

Answer 26

I would rather be deaf.  I have an amazing musical memory- while I gain pleasure out of actually having soundwaves pumped to my ears, I can remember a song down to the last cymbal vibration after listening to it a few times, and actually listen to it during classes.

I am also fairly good at reading music-  the beauty is in reading the patterns in it.  Hearing a 1st-3rd-5th chord in my head right now... amazing, simple, and strikingly angelic.  I am no where near perfect, but I can work it around for a minute and then hear it perfectly in my mind.

I would be saddened at not being able to actually hear music or voices any more, but to not be able to see a friend's face or touch a loved one or taste a fresh brownie or smell fresh cut grass-  I would gladly give up my hearing rather than go without those pleasures of life.

Answer 27

deaf, Aerosmith new album might cure my ears  

Answer 28

Deaf, much as I'd hate to be deaf as a Musician.

I've been almost dead before and I can tell You, it's not fun. Deaf Life is better than no life, trust Me there.

Bonus Answer: Born Deaf

Answer 29

i'm going to go with die.

without music i really don't have much going on in my life.

and that's horribly dull and painful.

not only the music, but i mean, think of the extreme lifestyle change.

i do terrible with change.

the mocking and ridicule. constant teasing (not that i could hear it).

if i was born deaf not too bad. or were a lot younger. but not now.

i have this problem where i have the hardest time learning languages. i'd have to learn sign language! that would take me a very long time and i know i'd get very frustrated very quickly. i also need to hear certain things. like i love you. if i had to read it, i don't think it would hold the same meaning for me. not to mention the fact that i have a very short attention span and music is one thing that can hold my attention and help me concentrate. when i don't have that i become self destructive. and that could kill me.

Answer 30

uhmm.

iunno, die probs, although i've always been able to hear something so i don't know what being deaf is like.

Answer 31

I would choose being deaf, no question about it. I love music, I love sounds, I love being blessed with the ability to hear in general...but it is not all I live for. I know this is hypothetical, but I gotta say I think it's pretty insensitive, to all of the innocent people who die every day and in a heartbeat would switch places with a deaf person if they had a chance, for people to say they would rather drop dead than be deaf.

And there are plenty, pleanty of deaf people who get by just fine in life. Yes, they have it hard...but they manage without sound. There are pleanty of other things that they live for.

I don't know, it just sounds like people are taking life for granted when they say they would drop dead without the gift of hearing. I do understand though that some people have nothing without their ability to make music.