Jews talk about this story a lot because we find it disturbing. I have a lot of difficulty with the idea of blindly following some higher command or order--throughout history, "just following orders" has permitted all sorts of atrocities. Granted, in this case the order is states as having come from on high--but still, human sacrifice seems pretty unambigously wrong.
The most impressive sacrifices I hear of regularly are those made by parents to allow their children better lives. People who move, for example, to the US and then work hard to put their kids through college are sacrificing their personal ambitions for the ambitions of their children. This sacrifice I find clearly and unquestionably admirable. My mom and I were in NYC about a year ago, taking a cab to a debate tournament, and our friendly cab driver--an immigrant from Bangladesh--proudly told us that his son was now studying at Harvard. Whether or not kids go to elite institutions, the leap of faith and sacrifice their parents make on their behalf is sometimes very impressive. Then again, that's sort of a parent's job.
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