Survivor Strength

“The line between life or death is determined by what we are willing to do.”- Bear Grylls. The reasoning behind the most important survival traits comes from survivors and a former park ranger, as their experiences provide insight. Under the pressure to survive in a critical situation, a person must have mental and physical strength, despite the expectation to simply remain hopeful. The most valuable trait in a survival situation is mental strength/toughness; being able to stay strong and smart after a tragic event. Survivor guilt is a heavy burden, according to Capt. John Prior, “There’s probably not a day that doesn’t go by that I don’t think about it, at least fleetingly.” (Sherman 4) Without mental toughness, survivor guilt can break someone down emotionally, and
In “Survival is Your Own Responsibility,” Daryl R. Miller states, “Some incidents stem from a lack of judgement, some stem from a lack of training.” Before going to a location where you could end up in a life or death situation, a person should train and prepare for the weather and landscape. Training for a specific terrain can increase a person's chance of surviving drastically because they know how to handle certain situations/obstacles. Daryl R. Miller also says, “Ten miles cross-country in Alaska is not like ten miles on trail systems in the lower 48, but more like 30 or 40.” If approaching an unexpected trek, trained for a mere ten miles compared to its 35, it will take a toll on a person’s body. Meanwhile, a person trained for a long distance will have a greater chance of surviving, because their body was ready. People argue hope is still a major aspect of surviving, that thinking positive and believing can help. Hope, however, will not help someone climb when the path is blocked and they have to go over the obstacle. While not the most important trait, physical strength is necessary for a survival