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What level of cognitive ability does someone need to be limited to (permanently, with no hope of cure) before you're ok with "pulling the plug" or "putting them down"?

Never/total vegetable
52.8%
Ability of 1-2 y/o
22.6%
Ability of 3-5 y/o
11.9%
Ability of 6+ y/o
12.7%

707 votesFinal results

Replying to

I'm not sure cognitive ability is a reasonable criterion. I had one of pets euthanized when his illness made him suffer. But even before the illness he was always incurably dumber than a 2 year old, and I wouldn't put them down just because of that.

Aella

@Aella_Girl

Replying to

@lordcataplanga

yeah, but I think it's waaaaaaay less resource intensive to care for an idiot pet than it is a child

5:26 PM · Sep 4, 2019

Replying to

With the resources that we spend on raising children, we could raise hundreds of puppies. But the happiness of a single human baby is more important. Humans truly are utility monsters.

Replying to

and

It's not particularly resource intensive to care for either, in the grand scheme of things. We have plenty of resources to take care of the most vulnerable among us. If we don't, then what's the reason for all this utility?