If you were the Captain of the Titanic...

[The Riddler]

I'm watching Titanic, and while it's a hugely depressing movie, it made me wonder and want to ask you all this.

By tradition, if a ship sinks, not just the Titanic, but in the Navy, etc., the Captain goes down with it to accept his defeat, since he's responsible for the ship as a whole. It's really a depressing thought.

If you were the Captain of the Titanic, would you have gone down with the ship as the real Captain did?
That is to say, he accepted death and locked himself in his cabin as the ship sank.

Now, to take it a step further, the string quartet, the violin, viola, and other instruments, they also accepted their impending deaths, but instead of locking themselves up and just sinking, they stood on the deck and played their instruments as a farewell. This is even more depressing to me, because they weren't supposed to go down by tradition.
If you were a member of the quartet, would you have gone down or would you have tried to find a way to survive?

Lastly, if you were just a regular person and there were no more lifeboats, would you have jumped ship?

[Mystic]

Captain: If I was one, I'd probably go down with the ship. But I like living, so who I am now, no, I'd GTFO.
Band: If the other members were staying, I'd stay with them.
Person: Jump ship.

[Dog Food]

Oh yeah, I forgot Titanic was going to be on.

If I were the Captain, then yes I would go down with the ship. It's my duty. But I hope I'm allowed to shoot myself, because I think that'd be a much less painful way to go then drowning. So I'd say my farewells, go to my cabin, grab my gun that I have in case there are pirates or for just this occasion, and then shoot myself. The end.

If I were a member of the quartet, I don't know what I would do. I mean, if everyone else in my quartet was going to die, I'd probably be peer pressured into it, because otherwise I would look like a dick. If they all wanted to survive, I'd go with them because I probably don't want to die, either. But I'd do whatever the rest of the group wanted.

[Friendly Hostile]

If I were captain of the Titanic, I wouldn't have thrown the ship into full reverse upon the spotting of the iceberg.

As for going down with the ship, as captain yes, as a member of the band, likely not unless we all agreed to stay.   As a standard passenger, I'd stay out of the water as long as possible, so I wouldn't jump ship, just get to the last point to go under.

[Tahrann]

In my opinion I would not go down with the ship but instead try to save as many other people's lives as possible. If I were to die, is that going to help any survivors live a little longer? Probably not.

[So_So_Man]

In my opinion I would not go down with the ship but instead try to save as many other people's lives as possible. If I were to die, is that going to help any survivors live a little longer? Probably not.

yes, they don't need to give you food then.
In relation to the op,
Captain:  I would go down with the ship.  After a screw-up like that, even if you do make it out alive, you will always be known as the person who sank the unsinkable.  Getting work would be impossible, especially in boat-related lines of work.
Quartet:  Hope like hell your the cello or double bass or something big and wooden player and float away on the instrument.
Passenger:  Try to find a way to get on a lifeboat, if that fails search for something that floats and try to tow behind a life boat.

[RX-78-2]

In my opinion I would not go down with the ship but instead try to save as many other people's lives as possible. If I were to die, is that going to help any survivors live a little longer? Probably not.

This is an excellent point. I wish I'd thought of it, especially if I were on the Titanic.

Anyway, my religion prevents me from committing suicide, and I'm pretty sure that this counts as it. No matter which of these positions I'm in, I'd stay on the boat as long as possible, try to find something that could keep me afloat once I'm in the water (this goes in the stead of jumping ship), and then try to help as many people as I can. I think that this is a much higher obligation and service than honor or tradition.

[BOREDFOREVER]

Captain:  Go down with the ship.  But get as drunk as possible first.

String quartet: Try to float away on the cello.

Regular Passenger:  Try and tear some wood off the ship to float on.

Yeah, I know the waters were freezing cold.  But I would rather try than simply die.

[ThePowerOfOne]

Fuck that poop, i'll throw some little kid out of a lifeboat before I go down with the ship.

[Dawei]

I'd get the hell off that boat. I'm not dying if I can prevent it.

[Lotos]

Captain:  Go down with the ship.  But get as drunk as possible first.

I like that one.  It'll ease the fear of dying.

[Macawmoses]

As a captain, I likely would. Even with weather effects factored in, chances are my inability was somewhat the reason we're in the mess. Anyone else, though, and I'd be headed for the first life boat I could find.

[Thirdkoopa]

I'd get the hell off that boat. I'm not dying if I can prevent it.

Completely the same all the way. As lack of a heart as it sounds I'd just want my life. However If It wasn't a last minute choice I'd try to save as many people as possible.