Choose your pain.

Originally Posted by Gumby

I have a similar situation as Alice (my vision got 50% worse each year for almost 10 years) and I have the opposite opinion. I am a visual learner so seeing is very important to me. This is really all a matter of opinion, not really an argument or debate.

I agree with you that it is a matter of opinion. Hopefully I didn't come off as argumentative or presumptuous. Its interesting you have a similar situation as Alice but ended up with an opposite opinion.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I couldn't live without my hands/hearing (for piano), I'm too music-based :P

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Amen ciph3r!!!

That's exactly why I voted "blind" there are several great pianists who became blind and continued to play... even in concert. I think I would die if I couldn't play or hear my piano!

RnB

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Without hands. At least I can see and hear who is coming up behind me and bludgeon them to death with my stumps.

no seriously

I was speaking idiomatically.

Although I understand that sight is one of the senses that humans are most dependent on, living without it is doable. I know of two blind people on my campus who are perfectly capable of doing everything a normal student can do. The difficulties they encounter, especially in programming or mathematics, are severe, but I can't even imagine a deaf person being able to attend classes easily either.

On top of that, music is that important to me. Without it, or even without being able to converse normally with people, life would be utterly dull.

Most amazing jew boots

That is a really good question. It's very difficult to pick which I'd rather have, I however have chosen deaf because, I'd like to be able to see my family and friends.
But I love listening to music so its a pickle. I hope I never have to go through any of them.

FELIPE NO

I would rather be death. Cause, then I can see people and enjoy the beautiful things outside of my home, such as seeing the sunset everynight. Besides, being blind would be scary to me.. nothing but darkness.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

^ Cop out.

I'd be deaf either way. Not to debunk Helen Keller, but there's no such thing as profound deafness unless your ears are just completely gone. For example, like Mush was mentioning about one wouldn't hear a truck coming. That is true, but you must also keep in mind in something similar to a railroad tracks. You can definitely feel the train coming, and to a deaf person, he/she could feel the rumble if close enough... :\ I'm sure its too fast to be able to tell where its coming from. But you get my point.

That rumble feeling is similar to a sound effect of silence in a way. Born deaf btw, and having no sense of sound doesn't really affect me as much like Helen was saying, losing touch to people? At least you can see your own children to love and hug and take care of them.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I pretty much agree with what Philia summed up.

For me, I'm pretty blessed that I'm a physically able being with all limbs attached with proper function of five senses. If I had to choose whether not to see or hear though, I would choose not to hear. I can imagine I can still do work without the ability to hear, but not being able to read, write, or type (as much of my life involves sitting in front of a computer to be connected with people), would just completely put me in solitude.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

All three options are pretty horrific to me. I'm a classical musician and music is my first love so the thought of losing my hearing is agonizing to me... and I'd need my hands to play... and I'd need my eyes to see what I'm playing.

I suppose if I *HAD* to make a choice, I'd lose my sight.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

If I had to make a choice, I'd choose losing my sight. I think I'd go crazy never being able to hear anything again. I go crazy if I go more than ten minutes without listening to some form of music. (The week I lost my mp3 was particularly tragic.) And I'd hate to lose my hands, because I wouldn't be able to play the clarinet. And I wouldn't be able to learn any of the other instruments I plan on playing.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Dark_Rika

I would rather be death.

Death is not an option. Try again.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I can't live without hearing the wind, music and tone of voice. So I need my hearing. I like to read and I like seeing different things. So I need my sight. I also love to draw but you don't neccessarily need only your hands for that. So i picked loss of left anf right hands. I like to sing so loosing my hands wont stop me from singing.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'd lose my hands, since I'm sure we're closer to inventing invent nuclear powered cyborg hands than we are eyes or ears.

FELIPE NO

A picture is worth a thousand words. I'd choose hearing to go. At least I'd enjoy the prospect of learning to read lips more than the prospect of learning braille.

If you're blind, you're much more vulnerable to any kind of assault since people know you're blind. If you're deaf you can carry on a decent conversation without the person knowing you're deaf since you can read lips.

I love music as much as anyone (maybe even moreso since I have a degree in music education), but music comes second to personal safety and general functionality in the world. No matter how well a blind person may function in the world, or how well a handless person may function, they just doesn't have the same level of functionality for working or living that a deaf person has.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

considering i love music...i couldn't choose deafness. i need my music to survive!
and i love art and movies and such, so my sight is loved.

so D= my hands. ;__; i guess i coulds get hooks or metal fingers or something. And then i could be named...the claw
hawt.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I think I'd rather lose my hands. I want to see my kids grow up and be able to communicate with them. I probably couldn't brush my daughter's hair or play ball with my son, but I'd still be able to read them stories.oO; I talk about my kids a lot, eh?

How ya doing, buddy?

i'd rather be deaf. i'd rather learn sign language or read lips or something than not be able to see the colors and beauty in the world. sounds cheezy i know ^_^ but yeah, and my hands! i like having fingers

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'd rather be blind than deaf because I really love music. If I couldn't hear music anymore, I could not deal with it.
Without hands, I'd just feel really helpless because I had to manage everything just with my feet and there are some things you just CANNOT do with your feet...

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Hyde

I think people automatically answer that they would rather be deaf without really thinking about the implications.

A majority of communication comes from body language. It's so deep that it's developed into our subconscious. Communication is part auditory, but not exclusively.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I'd think most people can appreciate movies better and understand the basic plot through pure audio cues rather than pure visual signals. Think of radio dramas for example. And still after making this thread, I can't single out the three choices and make a definate decision.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Scratch and Sniff

I'd think most people can appreciate movies better and understand the basic plot through pure audio cues rather than pure visual signals. Think of radio dramas for example. And still after making this thread, I can't single out the three choices and make a definate decision.

That's entertainment though. It's a movie. Hyde's post was referring to contact with people and that relies a lot on the visual aspect of communication. You can say "hi" a lot of different ways, but the subtlety of your facial expression and body language add a lot more depth to that "hi."

I agree that it is a really tough choice though.

FELIPE NO

Hands seems like the most obvious answer. You could still make music. You'd just have to compose it and have other people play it. Or you could make it using computer programs and other music producing stuff. Really, losing your hands wouldn't limit you near as much as any of the other choices.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'd rather be blind than deaf and unable to play the piano without hands. Sometimes I believe that my eyes provide a distraction to my mind. My hearing allows a great deal more food for my soul, largely because of music. Hearing the sound of loved ones is also wonderful.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I would like many other people choose to lose my eyes. There is so much in the world that I don't want to see. There are some many things that my eyes are wasted on. T.V. being one thing that my eyes distract me with. Without your eyes touch becomes so much more powerful and all the other senses. I couldn't live without music though. Without hands I couldn't give massages and what would the world be like where I couldn't pet my dog. Sight is so overrated. Why do you think people close their eyes when they kiss. You can duplicate sounds and sights but touch is always the truest sense.

There's nowhere I can't reach.