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As you can see there are still plenty of people who haven't gotten the message. And if YOU find my posts intolerable, you are completely free to ignore them or me. But don't think for a second you speak for all posters -- the number of rep points I've received from this thread convincingly demonstrate you don't.
Ah, the good ol' argumentum ad populum invocation. Gotta love that. As you can probably guess, I'm not swayed by the fact that potentially other preachy curmudgeons loved your diatribe. I do think it's wonderful that it made you feel oh-so-good, though.
I don't think so. He was gone way too long, he meant business dissasociating with his parents, he was committed to this journey. He gave away $24k and ditched his car, your take on this is way off if you think he was looking for attention or sympathy. (HUGE eye roll).
If my son did this I would hope he was happy. His parents were the ones only thinking of themselves, "woe is me my son has gone!" Many parents think their children owe them as adults, not true.
If this was my son, I failed at parenting & would be dragging him out of there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bitey
I can only speak for myself, I'm not angry at this kid. However, I AM exasperated with the moral idiocy that allows his self-destruction to be regarded as some inspirational or morally virtuous act. It was neither -- it was a senseless waste of a young, promising life and it should be plainly recognized as such. And instead of being regarded as a cautionary tale of what NOT to do, people have literally died trying to pay tribute to someone who deserves no such tribute, because that's how morally stupid our society is today.
If this was my son, I failed at parenting & would be dragging him out of there.
This.
Regarded as some hero. Just no.
That all sounds nice except that his family didn't know where he had gone. He was essentially untraceable in that moment and was sleeping some 30-ish miles off the main road. As much as you want to sound like a hero parent here, that's not how that would have worked.
I also don't know anyone who regards him as a hero. I certainly don't. And I would absolutely think it'd be a fun adventure to make the same hike and see the bus. But hero? Haven't really heard that, to be honest, though I think people will admit that there is something to be said by living out your days the way you want to. There are a lot of people who have or wish to eschew modern technologies and conveniences.
I think the story itself is simply sad. That's a sad, lonely way to die and I didn't think you needed much empathy to see that until I saw some posters on this thread (not you).
When I said he was a hero, I didn't mean I idolized the guy. Just that his journey inspired me to travel.
I think a lot of people don't get how inspiration works. I'm an artist. I get inspired by all sorts of things. A color. A scent. The sound of someone's voice. Inspiration doesn't mean you think the thing that's inspiring you is flawless or that you want to mimic that thing. It doesn't even mean the thing is good. It has nothing to do with what's moral or right. It could come from anything and anywhere. I could be inspired by an evil person too. Inspiration just means something about the thing set off a chain of thoughts in my brain that led to me feeling passionate about doing or creating something. It happens all the time with a huge variety of people, places, things, and ideas.
This Alaskan doesn't agree-not that our opinion is any more valid than others.
Ill prepared- For sure, and he was well aware of this. Chris was young, very bright, resourceful, the kind of guy who at times imagines himself as immortal.
His fly by the seat of his pants approach had worked for him up until then, so why not keep going? Indeed, it seemed to be an essential component of the spiritual quest he was on. Especially sad for me was that he had apparently satisfied his wonder lust before getting into a final life and death predicament. He certainly didn't want to die but in the end accepted it peacefully.
I think that is an excellent summation of Chris McCandless’s actions and motivations. He died partly because (like many young people) deep down he didn’t really believe that death could actually happen to HIM, partly because he didn’t know what he didn’t know and was too cocky to listen to advice from those who DID know, and (primarily) because as someone who’d grown up in suburbia and who’d had limited experience out in real nature he simply didn’t grasp how small the margin of error is when you’re out completely alone in true wilderness. It doesn’t take a big mistake to kill you. A simple sprained ankle can do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClaraC
And this woman threw her life away, she was SO INTENT to view where someone who was joyfully adventuresome died a terrible death.
And that is what gets people so upset: how can anyone read Into The Wild and STILL possess such a dangerously romanticized view of McCandless’s Alaskan excursion (and of wilderness in general)? Why do so many of them so foolishly endanger themselves trying to get to that damned bus (necessitating REAL outdoorsmen putting their own lives in danger in order to rescue them), or worse, die trying to get out there?
Many people simply hate seeing others people throwing their lives away so unnecessarily.
Ah, the good ol' argumentum ad populum invocation. Gotta love that. As you can probably guess, I'm not swayed by the fact that potentially other preachy curmudgeons loved your diatribe. I do think it's wonderful that it made you feel oh-so-good, though.
Your lack of self-awareness is almost as amusing as your belief you speak for everyone here.
You're swayed enough that you've had to resort to personal attacks as a last line of defense. It's too bad you're so uncomfortable having to re-examine your beliefs.
Your lack of self-awareness is almost as amusing as your belief you speak for everyone here.
You're swayed enough that you've had to resort to personal attacks as a last line of defense. It's too bad you're so uncomfortable having to re-examine your beliefs.
That's hardly a personal attack, and you had a good point about 9 times ago.
GENERALLY TALKING (Because there might be details for the story not stated since it's fresh news)
To take a risk of doing something _ have fun, for just fun and interesting_ WITHOUT a preparation when you do know that this will/most likely lead you to death and you accept that even if you don't really want to die is understood, which means, it could happen, even if this consider stupidity and foolish.
If death and life don't make any difference for a person and he doesn't care about his own life; and this is the way of death he wanted to have. who cares? who can stop him nor knows about him? It doesn't matter!
but to take a risk from this type to try to across the unsettled angry river WITH someone else close to u like family member sister ...etc is irresponsible and definitely wrong decision. Call me judging. I'm judging when the condition leads to harm & death; it's not supposed to take it easy and just fun and achievement.
Both could be swimmers but anyone (even professional swimmers) by logic will already realize that swimming in running high and fast river have a huge risk, u could feel strong and sufficient to make it but what guarantee that the other person (who you love & care) would make it too? she's female also (weaker physically in comparison with a man).
Either NOT to take a risk or just take a previous preparation in order not to blame yourself later when something bad happens.
Even if I suppose that this lady strongly wanted to cross the unsettled river without previous preparation (just go and jump) regardless whether the other part (her husband, brother.... whatever OK or not). He should have refused, and told her that he is not gonna take this risk; if she want, go alone. She would probably stop because the other part will not go with her. They went together, so, it would be inappropriate nor comfortable to try to cross the river alone. People tend not to take a risk when they are alone especially with such circumstance (unsettled river) but they could be encouraged to take it with others.
I don't know this tourist landmark, it's the first time I read about but from your comments, they stated that there are other ways to cross the river safely. Why not to take them especially that the condition of the river didn't help to cross it by swimming.
Don't tell me that this lady was happy to feel pain and struggling waves just to live this experience of crossing the river. I bet you've never drown for seconds in water to realize how this really tough and not the way any one wanted to die in. I'm sure she regretted the moment she found herself drowning and struggling to take even seconds to breath. If she really wanted that (which I don't think so), then this will be suicide.
In my view, human soul is expensive; every one should value his soul/life. You could take a risk to save someone else's life; this is called "sacrifice". This concept has a very big meaning and it's different. Like the guy who recently run to confront the dog in order to protect a random child, and he got injured as a result, and could have been dead too. he knew what could happen but he took it, he said "without thinking" he run for help. It's a spontaneous action, he's really a hero. But to cross an angry river WITHOUT PREPARATION just to visit an abandonment bus !!!! it's really silly. My soul shouldn't be cheap like this to give it easily for an abandonment bus sake.
Note: according to the link, it's stated that the guy said that he tried to get the lady out of the river. But my blame that this tragic shouldn't have been happened, from the beginning it could have been avoided easily just by taking well previous preparation for safety or use another way to reach your target safely. Now his wife died in a tragic way and her family and friends will be shocked and devastated and instead of having a fun and interesting experience by going and visiting new places, running, playing and taking photos, he will have a very bad memory of the river, swimming, bus and all what relate and remind him to it.
If this is true that every year people and international tourists go only to cross the river just to reach to the abandonment bus, so this is not the first time happen. I see to REMOVE that bus from that spot and put it at another spot in a way that no more anyone need to cross the river to get to the bus. Then, anyone go there will already find the bus in front of their eyes. Make it easy for them to live this moment they feel it's worth and to avoid other possible same tragedies from happening.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz
What does "really travel in style" mean? Maybe spend all that money they made on a cruise? Because their health is no longer good enough to do anything else?
I have known people who got sick, and died a year before they were to retire. I know people right now who are 75 or 80 years old, and still working, because they can't afford to retire. And I doubt they would know how to do anything else anyway. Work is all they have ever done.
Which is more tragic? A young person who gets out of school, travels around the world, and dies at age 25 doing something they love, or someone who works their entire life to pay off a student loan, car loan, home loan, only to die a year before their retirement? I say the person who died a year before their retirement. At least the young person got to experience the world, before they died. Not just spending their entire life working.
Again taking two extremes with nothing in between.
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