Survivor Strength
“The line between life or death is determined by what we are willing to do.”- Bear Grylls. The reasoning behind the most important survival traits comes from survivors and a former park ranger, as their experiences provide insight. Under the pressure to survive in a critical situation, a person must have mental and physical strength, despite the expectation to simply remain hopeful. The most valuable trait in a survival situation is mental strength/toughness; being able to stay strong and smart after a tragic event. Survivor guilt is a heavy burden, according to Capt. John Prior, “There’s probably not a day that doesn’t go by that I don’t think about it, at least fleetingly.” (Sherman 4) Without mental toughness, survivor guilt can break someone down emotionally, and
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affect how they think. Once a person stops thinking correctly, they begin to make decisions that could cost them their life. In “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, the seventh man saves himself, rather than risking his life for his friend’s. A person’s instincts are what keep them alive; there is a sense of self preservation. If a person is mentally weak and loses their self preservation instincts after witnessing something devastating, they no longer make decisions based on saving themselves. People may view hope as a key thing to have in a negative, life-threatening situation, because they think remaining positive will help someone persevere. Hope will not make someone adjust after witnessing a tragic loss. A person must be mentally tough in a survival situation. The second most valuable trait in a survival situation is physical strength.
In “Survival is Your Own Responsibility,” Daryl R. Miller states, “Some incidents stem from a lack of judgement, some stem from a lack of training.” Before going to a location where you could end up in a life or death situation, a person should train and prepare for the weather and landscape. Training for a specific terrain can increase a person's chance of surviving drastically because they know how to handle certain situations/obstacles. Daryl R. Miller also says, “Ten miles cross-country in Alaska is not like ten miles on trail systems in the lower 48, but more like 30 or 40.” If approaching an unexpected trek, trained for a mere ten miles compared to its 35, it will take a toll on a person’s body. Meanwhile, a person trained for a long distance will have a greater chance of surviving, because their body was ready. People argue hope is still a major aspect of surviving, that thinking positive and believing can help. Hope, however, will not help someone climb when the path is blocked and they have to go over the obstacle. While not the most important trait, physical strength is necessary for a survival
situation. Surviving when a friend or loved one does not can be hard, especially when still in dangerous situations, like extreme weather, where you need to be physically prepared. The need for mental and physical strength supersedes the need to be hopeful. In a survival situation, you need to be mentally tough enough to move past emotional obstacles, and physically tough enough to survive in the environment.
affect how they think. Once a person stops thinking correctly, they begin to make decisions that could cost them their life. In “The Seventh Man” by Haruki Murakami, the seventh man saves himself, rather than risking his life for his friend’s. A person’s instincts are what keep them alive; there is a sense of self preservation. If a person is mentally weak and loses their self preservation instincts after witnessing something devastating, they no longer make decisions based on saving themselves. People may view hope as a key thing to have in a negative, life-threatening situation, because they think remaining positive will help someone persevere. Hope will not make someone adjust after witnessing a tragic loss. A person must be mentally tough in a survival situation. The second most valuable trait in a survival situation is physical strength.
In “Survival is Your Own Responsibility,” Daryl R. Miller states, “Some incidents stem from a lack of judgement, some stem from a lack of training.” Before going to a location where you could end up in a life or death situation, a person should train and prepare for the weather and landscape. Training for a specific terrain can increase a person's chance of surviving drastically because they know how to handle certain situations/obstacles. Daryl R. Miller also says, “Ten miles cross-country in Alaska is not like ten miles on trail systems in the lower 48, but more like 30 or 40.” If approaching an unexpected trek, trained for a mere ten miles compared to its 35, it will take a toll on a person’s body. Meanwhile, a person trained for a long distance will have a greater chance of surviving, because their body was ready. People argue hope is still a major aspect of surviving, that thinking positive and believing can help. Hope, however, will not help someone climb when the path is blocked and they have to go over the obstacle. While not the most important trait, physical strength is necessary for a survival
situation. Surviving when a friend or loved one does not can be hard, especially when still in dangerous situations, like extreme weather, where you need to be physically prepared. The need for mental and physical strength supersedes the need to be hopeful. In a survival situation, you need to be mentally tough enough to move past emotional obstacles, and physically tough enough to survive in the environment.