Human Capabilities in Times of Stress
I'm currently reading "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," the self-told story of Aron Ralston - the hiker who was trapped for three days only to free himself by cutting off his arm. I'm only on page 80 and already the story is incredible. He is a very adventurous guy who loves the outdoors. The book goes back and forth between his circumstances in the narrow canyon in Utah and previous harrowing experiences while exploring nature. In one story he describes hiking alone in the Grand Tetons while being stalked by a black bear. He is able to keep the bear away by firing rock after rock to keep it at a safe distance until he can reach his car.
He clearly knows A LOT about hiking, camping, backpacking, and outdoor activities in general. But what is most striking is his persistent instinct. He routinely presses on when the terrain is difficult; he refuses to succumb to extreme cold or heat when he has a goal he's aiming for; he knows what needs to be done and refuses to rest until it's accomplished.
Yet despite all that, I still cannot fathom having the pain tolerance or the emotional wherewithal to act so drastically in a situation like that.
Here's the question: COULD YOU CUT OFF A BODY PART, ANY BODY PART, IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR ONLY OPTION FOR ESCAPE? Oh, and all you have is a blunt knife on your multi-tool device. I welcome your comments.
He clearly knows A LOT about hiking, camping, backpacking, and outdoor activities in general. But what is most striking is his persistent instinct. He routinely presses on when the terrain is difficult; he refuses to succumb to extreme cold or heat when he has a goal he's aiming for; he knows what needs to be done and refuses to rest until it's accomplished.
Yet despite all that, I still cannot fathom having the pain tolerance or the emotional wherewithal to act so drastically in a situation like that.
Here's the question: COULD YOU CUT OFF A BODY PART, ANY BODY PART, IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR ONLY OPTION FOR ESCAPE? Oh, and all you have is a blunt knife on your multi-tool device. I welcome your comments.
posted by CoryJones at 2:44 PM
3 Comments:
hands down..I would cut them off:)
Your body would do into shock eventually and you wouldn't feel the pain..hopefully.
Yes but what if it DOESN'T go into shock and you feel every excruciating moment? My pain tolerance is WAY to low to say an absolute 'yes' or 'no'.
True there is the factor of facing the pain. But I'ld rather lose my arm then my life. My fear would be that I would wait to long to make the decision.. that I was going to get saved and no one comes. By then I would be too weak to perform the task.
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