Stranger's baby. My mother's a troll.

I think any decent adult would beat you away to go get the baby.

A reasonable competent and healthy adult has an assumed ability to get themselves to safety.

A baby has none.

You should turn this into a poll. I’d save the baby and then feel horrible for the rest of my life for allowing my mom to die. I can imagine still hearing her screaming in horror and pain 20 years down the road. Meanwhile, the baby I saved grows up to be a depraved serial killer.

My mother. Easy. I don't know your baby. I'm sorry.

What the fuck kind of question is this!? My mom would NEVER forgive me if I didn't pick her! My dad would probably get mad, too. Well, it's hard for her to get mad if she's dead, but I feel like she'd judge me negatively anyway.

My Mom even if I have to toss the baby into the river... MY MOTHER. She Gave Me Life. End of the Bullshit!!!

Not completely unrelated.... Many years ago on a family vacation. I got on a boat ride with wife and two little daughters. As the boat owner kept on sailing away from shore, water was getting rougher by the minute and then it dawned on me that neither my wife or daughters knew how to swim at the time. Just the thought that something unexpected could happen made me realize that likely I was not going to be able to save all three. Who do you pick?. I though..... I started to freak out, asking the boat owner to take us back to shore. Just the thought still hunts me today.

I find the thought of saving either to be rather unpleasant. I'd just go grab a bite to eat and let Ma and the fecal factory deal with their problems on their own.

This question took me a moment. But, selfishly, I have to say my mother. She has people depending on her (not just me). The baby, while sad, doesn't have much depending on it.

I guess it depends on the situation. Like if you're running from an erupting valcano, the baby's gonna be easier to carry, you won't have to pay for your mom's end of life care, and you get the praise from your community for saving a baby. But if you're running from velociraptors, that baby's cry will give you away, and your mom can help you build barriers and traverse obstacles. You can also trip her to get away if you have to. I think I need more info before I can swing one way or the other.

My mom has been gone for a while, so I guess the kid wins by default.

My mom, without a thought. She has been my rock and I would do anything for her.

My mother is 87 & suffers from dementia. She doesnt even recognize me & thinks its 1959. I'm saving the stranger's baby.

The kid. My mother's already dead and when she was a live I wouldn't have pissed on her if she was on fire.

Baby by default because my mom's dead. If my mom was alive, she'd have wanted me to save the baby.

I love yu karogi and nights in a hotel near kamakhya temple Guwahati

To be honest, and I would figure that this might go against the grain here, but My mom is the closest thing to a best friend. I would save her.

The baby

Depends on some important issues. In some cases it would be my mother, in others it would be the baby.

My mum would never forgive me if I saved her over a baby.

well that's a no brainer. I'd save the one I loved

Unless you created the situation that put either in harm's way, you have nothing to do with the loss of life. You are saving someone's life because you were able to and in many cases, putting yourself in a life-threatening situation to do so. That act is noble regardless of other events happening nearby. At that same moment thousands of people are dying across the globe, the one in close proximity is as much your fault as everyone else's, which is none.

My answer is that I'd save the baby, and then I'd do what I could to save my mother.

My mum.
That random baby has no significance in my life

My mother would have killed me if I didn't save the baby.

My mother would have killed me if I didn't save the baby.