Chris McCandless: Hero or Dumb Jerk?

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Helen Keller once said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”. Chris McCandless believed in this thought. However, Chris’s “daring adventure” also cuased his quick demise. People risk their lives for many reasons. Perhaps a person is suicidal or maybe they are foolish and ill prepared. I believe many people, including Chris McCandless, risk their lives for an adventure because life is short, and why not take risks while a person still can. Or on the contrary, a person could be seeking a thrill, or attempting to test their worth, or simply trying to decide who they really are.

Chris McCandless and many other adventurers risk their lives in order to have the thrill an exhibition can supply. In Judith Kleinfeld’s article, “McCandless: Hero or Dumb Jerk”, she describes different types of people who strive to be like McCandless, “The Hero: A person following their dreams, seeking to test themselves with adversity and risk in order to live life fully.” Kleinfeld states that people who claim to be a hero, do not risk their lives because they do not care whether they live or die, they take risks to ensure that a person lives a fruitful and exciting life. A person may often times find thrill in living life to their fullest ability, which may or may not be dangerous. Neal Karlinsky agreed with Kleinfeld, that people take risks as an expression of living life and enjoying the thrill of danger. “The 29-year-old is on the journey of a lifetime … a journey that could cost him his life. And he couldn't be happier.” Karlinsky states that the person is happiest when their life is on the verge of ending. I believe people that risk their lives for adventure all have the same outlook on the topic. The truth is, life is fleeting. I b...

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...e. “We like companionship, see, but we can't stand to be around people for very long. So we go get ourselves lost, come back for a while, then get the hell out again.” (Page.... The truth is, if everybody enjoyed being around other people their whole lives our entire world would be covered in highly populated cities. However, a large amount of the world is covered in remote terrains calling for people to explore. People go on adventures into wide open spaces because they are the most practical place for a person to find out who they really are. People like Chris go on daring and solitary adventures because they are then able to zero in on themselves and the thing that matters the most; who they are on the inside.

McCandless: Hero or dumb jerk?

Judith Kleinfeld

(Published: July 20, 2001) http://powpak.dl.noacsc.org/powpak/data/csiebeneck/articles/document_ar48.pdf

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