Life is something that people tend to take for granted. When people catch themselves in life-or-death situations they sometimes make decisions that seem crazy to normal people just living their everyday lives. People that make crazy decisions when they know the risks, or decide to do something before fully understanding the risks, should be held accountable for that decision that they made and if they need rescuing then they should be the ones to pick up the bill. If they don’t take responsibility for the cost of their decision and rescue, then taxpayers are the ones that end up paying for it. It is very common to see people deciding to go mountain climbing, hiking, or sailing-in a place where they shouldn’t be, just for the thrill of it. What some of these people don’t do-is prepare themselves properly for the situation that they are about to put themselves in. For example, rather than just deciding out of nowhere people should do some research on the supplies they should bring, things they might need in case of emergency, what the temperature is going to be like, and the kinds of emergencies that can occur if they are to make a life threatening mistake. In the passage, “The Cost …show more content…
For instance on page 127, in paragraph 3 the author says that, “In 2012, millions of people hiked, climbed, and boated in national parks, but
bring enough equipment with him. The man is also confident. For example, he thinks he has enough equipment for his trip. The Traveler, in Jack London’s story, “To Build a Fire” is a great example of being unprepared and he is confident.
It was Saturday morning at Alexan’s vacation home in Tehachapi, CA. We ate our breakfast, and decided to go for a hike in the dangerous mountains of Tehachapi. It was approximately fifty degrees Fahrenheit and the clouds had covered the mountains, causing the area to be very foggy and difficult to see. Knowing that it was not a good idea Alexan still managed to convince me to go hiking, and he said to me, “Don’t worry it will be fine”. This reminded me of Oliveira saying to Ronald, “I think you feel very sure of yourself, firmly planted in yourself and in your surroundings” (Oliveira 161). Both Ronald and my friend Alexan felt very sure that they were right, and did not have any worries. I do not think Alexan even took a single thought about the dangers we could face hiking in the steep mountains with the harsh conditions we were facing. Ronald did not care to change his mind and agree with Oliveira, because he felt very confident with what he believed.
There is always going to be a ‘what if’ in Krakauer’s book Into the Wild; Chris lead himself to his own death. Unfortunately, the routes and the decision didn’t end as he wanted to but he was more alive than he ever was. His dreams were, in fact, wise but risky, but with the knowledge Chris had, he knew best. He knew could have read more or gone more into detail of the Alaskan wild but instead, he just read the book Tanaina Plantlore: An Ethnobotany of the Dena 'ina Indians of Southcentral Alaska, by Priscilla Russell Kari. Also, with the skill he experiences while hitchhiking, he could of acknowledge the difference in the environments. Lastly, being self-absorbed made his trip fatal because no one but a few friends knew where he was. The fact Chris didn’t tell his family where he was headed to lead him to his death in which he is only responsible for. But he died at peace according to his journal. By letting his family know where he was, they could 've sent a search party after a few months to see if he was safe. One follows their dream because of the challenges but Chris followed his odyssey because it was wise on his mind but a risk to
This became the deadliest expedition to ever climb, with 15 people losing their lives. Krakauer explains his intrinsic motivations to accept this challenge and many of the mistakes that helped lead to the disasters of that day. He includes himself, and explicitly blames himself for at least one person's death. The experience affects him profoundly, and in addition to telling the story, the book focuses on how Krakauer is forever changed as a result of what happened. All of the clients have difficulty adjusting to the altitude, tiring easily, losing weight and moving slowly.
As Chris became more fascinated with the wilderness, he increasingly became indifferent towards different aspects of his life. Chris’ operation prior to embarking in the wilderness was fruitless because he lacked the sufficient and valuable preparations. Furthermore, it is appropriate to say that the actions that he took were beyond heedless: “He spent very little time learning how to actually live in the wild” (Christian 1). Practice makes perfect is a common proverb that echoes throughout society but was unfortunately missing from Chris’ life. Chris’ enthusiasm towards nature prevented him from making a logical decision of having sufficient experience with the wilderness itself. Ultimately, Chris was an oblivious person because he commenced into the wilderness with meager supplies. However, Chris failed at entering his excursion with sufficient preparations: “He left the map in Gallien’s truck, along with his watch, his comb, and all his money, which amounted to 85 cents” (2). By leaving his belongings in Gallien’s truck, Chris made an extremely absurd decision. More specifically, he disabled any possibility for him to receive immediate assistance when his health began declining rapidly. Finally, individuals should prioritize rationality in certain situations because it is crucial for them to use when they are blinded by a
The idea of taking risks appeal to most people, but what is actually learned from the act of risk taking? In the two readings, “Breaking through Uncertainty –Welcome Adversity,” by Jim McCormick, and “Neighbours,” by Lien Chao, the benefit derived from taking risks is explored. In McCormick’s article, a parachuting jump mishap leads to his revelation that confidence and certainty can be found. Chao’s short story deals with Sally befriending an elderly couple and joining them for Canada Day celebrations, and along the way realizes what’s important to herself. Though “Breaking Through Uncertainty –Welcome Adversity,” deals with a life saving risk, “Neighbours” is more about a personal risk, something that demonstrates much greater benefits as personal satisfaction.
In this case, knowing the ocean can be unpredictable these mean still chose to go through with their journey. Even though the probability of dying is low, taking a risk that could mean losing a life is not worth it. Therefore, people need to be knowledgeable about the activities that they are going partake in. For example, In “To build a Fire,” a man went on an expedition to map out a pathway and he went all alone, along with his dog. This man did not learn enough about his expedition until he got himself involved in the life or death situation. “That man from Sulphur Creek had spoken the truth when telling how cold it sometimes got in the country. And he had laughed at the time!” Consequently, the man had died on this journey, for making decisions that were risky. Another example of getting involved in a life-or-death situation is volunteering to go to war. Although these people want to protect their country, they need to know that there is a risk involved in going to war. For example, In the story “Moral Logic of Survival guilt,” it talks about soldiers who choose to go to war, and either come out dead or
Nearly four-thousand people have scaled Mt. Everest, but about 240 people have died trying. Even though people put themselves at risk, society should pay. Society should pay because many people can’t afford to pay the rescue bills and it is the right thing to do.
This topic is relevant to today’s society because it is important to save lives, and doing the opposite would just be inhumane. For example, there’s a single mom on a little adventure on Everest, alone, and she fell. Should rescue services help her to reunite with her little kids? Or should they “accidentally” put the poor kids in an orphanage? With the example given above, it is crystal clear that the option to save the mom is the best choice. And that’s why people do have the right to rescue services when they put themselves at risk. There are a lot of mountain climbing accidents happening every day, think about it, imagine how grieving life would be for the unfortunate climbers’ families if rescue services can’t help
He did not attempt to conceal the danger and difficulties that would inevitably attend the undertaking. Nor did he forget to remind them, that should their efforts be followed by success, they would be entitled to, and would receive the grateful acknowledgments of their country. “It is probable,” he said, ”that some of us may not survive the daring attempt. But I ask you to hazard no dangers which will not be shared with you by your commander, and I pledge to you my honor, that in every difficulty and danger, I will take the lead.”
Living in the wilderness is difficult, but understanding the meaning of such lifestyle is even more difficult. One of the Christopher’s admirable qualities was that he was well aware of what he was doing. He knew about the difficulties and dangers that he would face into the wilderness, and was mentally prepared for that. Author Jon Krakauer says that “McCandless was green, and he overestimated his resilience, but he was sufficiently skilled to last for sixteen weeks on little more than his wits and ten pounds of rice. And he was fully aware when he entered the bush that he had given himself a perilously slim margin for error. He knew precisely what was at stake” (182). McCandless was an educated youth, who loved nature and dreamed of living in the Alaskan wilderness. Although he ignored to take many necessary things with him on this
Even today in reality, the journey is more important than the destination through each of our individual lives. People make choices on their voyage, such as deciding on a college, a job, or even where to live, and all of the choices the adventurer makes is going to affect the future. On the way to their objective, they will gain experience and learn life lessons which will impact their final
Survival is indeed a word that can change a human’s perspective on what they need to do to remain alive. In order to survive, people have been known to go to great lengths and to do things they would not ordinarily do. I have noticed this throughout my life by watching movies, and reading books. Most of the time, it is the main character who comes face to face with death, and does anything to keep themselves alive. I have set up a few great examples that show’s people in their survival situations, and what they will do to get out alive.
Placing monetary value on an individual’s life is measured not by the way an individual has lived, but rather the individual’s income; at least that is how society views life. Every individual values life from a different perspective. And while every human will find value in life, those values will not be the same as everybody else. Some people will value life as a privilege and believe life should be taken seriously while considering the consequences in every decision contemplated while others will live in the fast lane with an irresponsible mindset. Individuals also view life differently depending on the circumstances. However, no matter how an individual views life, it seems to be impossible to extract emotion out of any decision. Society, on the other hand, values life by placing a monetary value on a human life. Society also has no choice but to set emotion aside when setting that monetary value. The government will use that value to compensate a family who has just lost a love one. However, some families mistake the compensation for “replacing” the lost soul and become indignant. There are many alternatives when it comes to compensating the victim’s family. In most times, society always ends up placing a value on an individual based on his/her income. Furthermore, while society delivers compensation to families, society also believes in compensation for an individual’s pain and suffering. There are times society should place a monetary value on life, while having restrictions.
“The place she is taking the children to may no longer exist. The excruciating trip, blindly taking the river, could result in nothing. When they get there, down the river, will they be safe?” (Malerman 92).