Source: CNN.com
Those who seemed best suited for survival — the strongest or most skilled — were often the first to die off in life-or-death struggles, he says. Experience and physical strength can lead to carelessness. The Rambo types, a Navy SEAL tells Gonzales, are often the first to go.
Small children and inexperienced climbers, for example, often survive emergencies in the wilderness far better than their stronger or adult counterparts, he says.
They survive because they’re humble, Gonzales says. They know when to rest, when they shouldn’t try something beyond their capabilities, when it’s wise to be afraid.
“Humility can keep you out of trouble,” Gonzales says. “If you go busting into the wilderness with the attitude that you know what’s going on, you’re liable to miss important cues.”
Survivors tend to be independent thinkers as well. When hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hundreds of workers were trapped in the towers. Gonzales says security told many of them to stay put and wait for rescue.
Most of those who heeded the directions from security died, he says. Most of the survivors decided to ignore security protocol. They headed downstairs through a smoke-filled stairwell and didn’t wait to be rescued.
“They were not rule followers, they thought for themselves and had an independent frame of mind,” Gonzales says.
Survivors also shared another trait — strong family bonds. Many reported they were motivated to endure hardships by a desire to see a loved one, Gonzales says.
One Comment
Gonzales has provided us with one of the best sources of information on the most important tool in any survival situation: your brain. I highly recommend Deep Survival to anyone who hasn’t already read it. It’s also available on CD & i-Tunes for those of you too busy to sit down with a good book (or stuck with a miserably long commute, like me).