Do you think my depressing thought is true?

[styley]

I have this theory that if eveyone was given a device when they were about 12 years old or so, and that when they pressed a button on it, it would just erase them from having ever existed, then there would be no people left on earth. Any thoughts on it welcome.

[Buenchico]

Has anyone ever told you you're weird? ;-)
(Don't worry about it. It happens to me all of the time!).

Your device would only have the outcome you suggest if the 12-year-olds were also provided with crystal balls. I used to teach that age group and I think that, for many people, 12-years-old is the happiest time of their lives. What 12-year-olds don't realise is that it's all downhill from there onwards ;-)

Chris

[MrSensible]

Totally agree Chris, at the age of 12 kids are very naive and have no idea of what is ahead.

I'm quite happy with my lot, I aint gonna preach and tell you life isn't that bad as I haven't walked a mile in your shoes.

Depression/mental health issues are extremely common I think I read somewhere that 1 in 3 have some sort of mental illness many undiagnosed.

Might be wrong but I suspected by the very nature of your post you aint happy?

[styley]

I meant from the age of 12 onwards. Just picked 12 as an age at random but with semi responsibility involved

[mibn2cweus]

styley, What a hideous thought!

For anyone with a shadow of a doubt that such a device would not totally eliminate human existence let us assume that we all had access to each other's button as well ~ ~ ~ </o�o\>

[WaldoMcFroog]

Surely this is no different from saying 'People have the ability to commit suicide'? So, therefore it wouldn't result in no people. I seriously doubt that it is the thought of pain that stops suicide as much as it is the thought of not existing.

[styley]

Well, if someone commits suicide they know they'll be leaving behind loved ones who will have to deal with the loss and the stigma. If one was removed from existence there are no repurcussions from their actions. So it's not the same thing waldo.

[annie0000]

i think the problem with the button would be that you would have a bad day 'cos someone made a rude comment to you - catastrophic when you are a young teen and then you pressed it. But as we all know, the next day you would find out that wee jeannie's brother fancied you and you'd be on top of the world again!

I think that people would still exist because not all of the people who felt like it would have the guts to press the button - our natural curiosity for what is around the corner would keep most of us going.

[styley]

Well, it probably isn't true that there'd be no people left, right enough. But I'd say a lot of people would press it. You kind of got what I was on about there annie. You're a teenager, you get one bad day, you press the button. And that's that.

[annie0000]

That's why it is just as well that there isn't a magic button - is it not usually all these tortured souls that go on to become the creative people in society? The musicians and artists and even comedians that enrich the world we live in, while the rest of us that wouldn't press the button all grow up to work in banks!