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Personally, I found him to be delightful, what was written about him, and am sad that he was alone realizing he would die, and wrote a farewell note.
Why the hate? Did you know him?
You know, it doesn't take a sophisticated mind to understand it's possible to not hate someone and at the same time wonder why people are so infatuated with him or his tremendous act of stupidity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
It doesn't sound like it was stupidity to me. Maybe you're confusing him with the kid who went out into the Alaskan bush to live with the nice grizzly bears?
For starters, you don't just wander out into the Alaskan wilderness with no survival skills and no realistic plan for survival. For another, he could have walked to safety if he'd had a map or any familiarity with the landscape before wandering into it. Call it stupidity, call it arrogance, call it ignorance, but in any case I don't find anything to admire about it.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bitey
You know, it doesn't take a sophisticated mind to understand it's possible to not hate someone and at the same time wonder why people are so infatuated with him or his tremendous act of stupidity.
For starters, you don't just wander out into the Alaskan wilderness with no survival skills and no realistic plan for survival. For another, he could have walked to safety if he'd had a map or any familiarity with the landscape before wandering into it. Call it stupidity, call it arrogance, call it ignorance, but in any case I don't find anything to admire about it.
I don't want to get an infraction for bickering, but honestly, when I read this book, it made me want to venture out, courageously. As it did for all 3 of my sons, upon reading this book. This young man, to us all, although he died accidentally, made us want to loose our bounds and travel in the wilderness.
If you think these sentiments are harsh, share your loving thoughts on the Alaska boards where they've been trying for years to get the bus destroyed or removed.
Alaskans think Chris McCandless was an idiot who in his death, continues to endanger the lives of others. He was illl prepared for his journey and most who try and follow in his footsteps are also ill prepared.
Not only that, he endagers the lives of civil servants who have to go rescue these fools.
Some people take huge risks to do things that give them satisfaction.
Other strangers call them stupid from the sidelines of an online forum.
Hey, I had carpaccio (raw beef) the other day. It was delicious. “Could’ve died”, though!
You're not very good at relative risk analysis, are you?
How many more people have to die and how many dozens more have to be rescued making a "courageous" journey to this bus before people realize there's nothing courageous about being willfully ignorant to clear and obvious risks?
It doesn't sound like it was stupidity to me. Maybe you're confusing him with the kid who went out into the Alaskan bush to live with the nice grizzly bears?
You must be thinking of Treadwell and his girlfriend. No matter how foolish they were, you have to feel for them, too.
I didn't read the book or see the movie, but reading about what he did, he seems like he was one of those people who are "born under a wandering star," as they say. They know it's a risky way to live, and that's part of the thrill. This fellow was pretty young, so although he knew he hadn't prepared, he probably didn't understand just how risky this last part of his journey would be. He had gotten through a lot of dangerous situations before this, so he may have been living under a false sense of security that winging it would be good enough.
So sad. It was unusually naive, even for someone as young as he was, not to have a better knowledge of the seasons of the area he ended up in. So, pretty sad. He was a smart, educated guy who had a lot to offer.
You're not very good at relative risk analysis, are you?
How many more people have to die and how many dozens more have to be rescued making a "courageous" journey to this bus before people realize there's nothing courageous about being willfully ignorant to clear and obvious risks?
First of all, I’m not calling this courageous.
Second of all, I believe you should be able to sign a “rescue waiver”, so no time and money are spent on you, should you go missing on a willful act. Having children morally complicates the matter, I’ll agree to that. I don’t think risking yourself unreasonable when you have a child is right.
Third of all, relative risk is just that, relative. The benefit is subjectively rated by the one doing the thing, no? Might not give you pleasure, might give someone else the greatest pleasure.
He didn’t go out there to die he went out there to live.
I agree with you; however, through naivete and ignorance he tragically died. With more preparation he would have lived.
I can respect the independent spirit he displayed but too many people only see that part and don't see the HUGE mistake he made with his lack of preparedness. This young lady who died crossing the river clearly didn't come prepared either.
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No matter how foolish they were, you have to feel for them, too.
