Touching the Void

1457 Words3 Pages

In June 1985, British mountain climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates ventured the unclimbed western face of Siula Grande, a 21,000 ft. high peak that is located in the Peruvian Andes. Simpson and Yates were both aware that what they are aspiring is nearly impossible because if something gone wrong it can be serious, which may lead to death, and there is no rescue available; in addition, mountain climbers before them who attempted to reach the mountain’s summit never achieved this goal. However, this didn’t stop them from climbing the west face of Siula Grande. They want to climb the mountain mainly because “it was just brilliant fun.” (2009). When people are aware that they are getting their selves in a detrimental situation, they still continue to do what they want to do. In my opinion, I believe people behave this way because they just want to try something extraordinary or they want to prove something to someone; but in Psychology, people behave this way because of motivation. Motivation is defined as the process “that makes a person move toward a goal.” (SparkNotes Editors, 2005); a motivation can be intrinsic, extrinsic, or both. Intrinsic motivation is a type of motivation which causes an individual to act or engage in activities to enhance their self-concept, while extrinsic motivation is a type of motivation that causes an individual to act in such a way for external awards. In Simpson’s and Yates’ case, they are both experiencing intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; despite of getting their selves in danger, they still yearn to reach the mountain’s summit because of interest, enjoyment, and rewards. Furthermore, Simpson and Yates met a complete stranger named Richard Hawking who is from Lima; Hawking has ... ... middle of paper ... ...hunger as the hormone insulin lets cells to enter glucose in the blood; when the pancreas discharges insulin hunger will rise. When Yates was in the base camp, Hawking was overly worried about Yates’ condition; he was worried that Yates might experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder that can occur after suffering or witnessing a traumatic event. Having a good social support such like from Hawking is crucial to help protect Yates against PTSD. As Simpson was struggling climbing down the mountain, he experienced hallucinations and intense anxiety. He was experiencing panic disorder, an individual with panic disorder experiences unexpected panic attacks, which cause worry or anxiety. During this disorder, an individual may experience heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, fear of losing control, going crazy, and dying.

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