Taking a bullet.

Have you ever heard the phrase "I'd take a bullet for you/him/her/them?"

Its a pretty common phrase typically meant to convey a sense of loyalty to a person or group of people. But in my opinion it honestly doesn't mean much.

You probably think I'm crazy right? "How can taking a bullet not mean much?" Well my dear reader, the answer is that getting shot often doesn't hurt that much. The speed and force of the bullet tends to keep it from hurting immediately, and you have a pretty good shot at surviving.

Many a time someone who said they would take a bullet for me have betrayed me to protect themselves from other things, public backlash, job loss and financial trouble, humiliation, etc. All of which I'd argue are far more scary than a simple bullet.

And I personally can vouch for one thing, when it comes to making a decision, the physical pain and risk of a gun shot is often outweighed by the mental and emotional pain of standing by a friend in a bad time. Frankly, its easier to get shot than to get vilified by others.

Therefore I prefer friends who would publicly stand with me against false allegations, rumors, etc, and stand with me during times of financial or health problems, rather than one who take a bullet for me. Just a thought.