Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Extreme Sports
Extreme sports are very popular these days. Are these suicide attempts, as some say, or ways some humans come to peace with death? Krakauer observes that it is not “unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders.” Do you agree with this point? Do you think Chris would agree?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't think that extreme sports are suicide missions, but I do think that they're dangerous and reckless. Look at Evil Kenevil: he did extreme sports/stunts and no one ever said he was on a suicide mission.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Krakauer that young men do tend to be drawn to dangerous sports considered to be reckless by his elders. I don't think Chris would agree with this. I believe that Chris would probably say that the elders are just out of touch and that these young men are just trying to break free from "plastic" lives. That's what Chris was trying to do by going into the wild. Chris probably believes these young men are trying to do the same thing, just differently then he did.
Extreme sports are very popular these days; however, I don't think these are suicide attempts or a way to come to peace with death. I feel that these extreme athletes do these extreme sports in order to get an adrenaline high. Some people thrive by living on the edge. Personally, I'm not one of these people, nn fact I'm far from it. I do know people who enjoy living this way though. Krakauer believes that young men do these things as a rebellion technique, but I don't agree with this either. Sure there are people who do extreme stunts as a rebellion but the majority do it for fun.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think extreme sports are popular among younger people because we always want to do something crazy. I don't believe they are suicide attempts, I believe that when people attempt these sports, they don't think they are going to die, or even come close to it. When we are younger we feel as if we are invincible and nothing is going to happen to us. The reason why we try these extreme sports is because it gives us an adrenaline rush, and that is a feeling that we seem to enjoy. I agree with Krakauer when he says that it isn't unusual for us to want to do something that older people would think is absurd to do. Older people have probably tried this when they were younger, or knew someone who tried it and some fatal happened. They have probably learned from their past experiences, however when we are younger, and we haven't actually experienced something ourselves, then we usually want to try it to see what is going to happen to us. I don't feel as if this has anything to do with a suicide attempt, it is simply the fact that we want an adrenaline rush, and we enjoy doing crazy things without thinking of the possible consequences.
ReplyDeleteI think Chris would agree with this because this is something that he basically did when he decided to go to Alaska. Everyone who talked to him thought he was crazy for doing what he was doing and going at it unprepared. He did not want to listen to them and decided to go anyways.
Extreme sports are a way to live on the edge, to push your life almost to the brink of extinction. Many people enjoy the thrill that comes with this adrenaline rush, which leads to pursuits of ever bigger, and harder challenges. As an athlete becomes more comfortable with these sometimes life threatening situations, they need to go above and beyond to satisfy their need for a thrill, and sometimes push too far. Tragically, this sometimes ends in death. Many elderly people think that this can be classified as a "suicide attempt", because they don't understand the rush that comes with it. Alex was drawn to Alaska, that would fulfill his need for change/excitement. Agreeing with Jules, older people have already lived and learned from experiences like this, causing them to have a more logical view towards it.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with the authors point about younger people doing things that older people would not do. I also agree with Jules about the people who do try out these extreme sports are not thinking of the consequences. Like Josh, I think these sports are a way for people to live on the edge and get an adrenaline rush which can be fun!
ReplyDeleteI also think that people do extreme sports to get an adrenaline rush. Although, I don't believe they really know the consequences of what may happen. I don't believe it is a suicide attempt. I just think that they don't really fully comprehend what they are really doing and what may happen to them during it. Extreme sports can be very interesting to watch, but personally, I wouldn't be able to do something that might take my life.
ReplyDeleteAlthough many extreme sports do lead to death, such as Chris McCandless’ unfortunate death in Alaska. I do not think this makes them a suicide attempt. Often I think people go into these adventures or athletics for fun and excitement. It has nothing to with death at all; it is simply their way of feeling alive. I think that Krakauer is correct that many young people, in general, do make decisions that their elders would consider reckless. I think this happens because wisdom comes with age and learning from reckless decisions. I don’t know how Chris would feel about Krakauer’s statmeant because I find it extremely difficult to understand and relate to McCandless.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that extreme sports are not suicide attempts at all. I agree with Josh when he says that, "Extreme sports are a way to live on the edge..." It is a way for people to break out of normal life and experience a rush of pure adrenaline. I think young people are drawn to this more then older people because they dont really think of the consequences as much. They tend to live in the moment more. I do agree with the author when he says that the younger generation is drawn to dangerous exciting activities. I do not think that Chris would agree though. He is constantly complaining about how people are not living and need to do exciting things. He thinks that many people need a push to find that adrenaline rush.
ReplyDeleteI think that extreme sports are not sucidal or a way for people to come to peace with death. I think these sports are nothing more than a way for people to live on the edge or like an adrenaline rush for some people. Some people love to do things that are dangerous to feel like they are living on the edge or if they just want that next adrenaline rush. I agree with Krakauer and how it is not unusal for young boys to do things that elders think is reckless. Young boys often do things their parents or elders say they should not either to be a rebel or just because it interests them. I think Chris would agree because he is living it. Chris is doing something reckless and something his elders did not want him to because it was reckless. Chris did it mainly because he wanted to and because he was pasionate about it. It may be reckless to some but for Chris it is a thrill and something he would rather die trying to do than not to do it at all.
ReplyDelete(Stephen Hutchins)
I am on the fence with this statement. People who say extreme sports are suicidal most likely are not participating. If they have never tried it before how are they to know what it's like? A possible reason for wanting to partake in extreme sports is that normal sports do no supply the thrill and adrenaline that these "suicidal" sports give. However, I do not think that the participants are at peace with death. The fear of dieing is still there and that is what is keeping them from becoming too extreme. People who are active in extreme sports take great measures to ensure their safety, so how can someone say that they are at peace with death? I agree with Karkauer because when we are young we want many diffrent experiences in our lives to make it feel more full. In today's world, it's difficult to find younger people taking more risks because our elders are telling us that we shouldn't, and there is the laws that are being made that are meant to restrict us from doing things that are fun. Knowledge is also a fun-sucker in various situations. If you know something can kill you, you end up more focused on the danger that you do the excitement and fun that could come out of the situation. Chris McCandless is more focused on the good feelings that he will get than the bad ones. He is more in search of a understanding of everything than just assuming that the situation is dangerous and now worth trying.
ReplyDeleteIf some one was doing a sport for the suicide attempt, then it is not really a suicide attempt at all. If some one is spending the money on it they are not doing it to try to kill themselves. There are much easier, less expensive ways to do that. I think that people do these extreme sports in an attempt to get an adrenaline rush and to feel like they are bigger than life.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, agree that youth are drawn to doing things that their elders would consider reckless, such as sky diving or hiking into Alaska. I think that Chris would agree that elders don't always agree with what younger people do but I don't think that he would base his decisions off of it. When people are young their bodies can take more and if something goes wrong they can bounce back faster; therefore the best time to do something reckless in when you are young. Not incredibly young like 12 but enough so that you know the risks. Older people see the dangers from their perspective. They see everything that could go wrong and how it could happen and they try to pass this knowledge on to others. Chris's reckless behavior is something that no one really worries about because it seems so natural for a young boy, but he is a smart man and knows the risks. He also knows that he finds them worth taking.
In this day and age many people are looking for more and more ways to find a form of excitement and thrill. One way people find this thrill is threw extreme sports such as lugging and bungee jumping. However, I do not believe that people participate in such sports or activities to attempt suicide or to come to peace with death. I believe people participate in such activities to receive an adrenaline rush from these dangerous activities. I disagree with Krakauer’s opinon because today it is not unusual to take risk. I think that Chris would also disagree with Krakauer because Chris believes that people need to find exciting things to do to truly live.
ReplyDelete(Andrew Stephens)
I think for many thrill seeking personalities, the only times when they feel really alive is when they are closest to death, and defying it. I think the excitement and uncertainty of extreme sports bribes thrill seekers, who are always looking to up the ante on life. Chris, for example, loved the feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere with no means of communication and minimal supplies. The possibility of death was looming around the corner during many of his adventures. Equal to that is someone who skydives. While they could die, every success is part of the excitement. It is almost like they are outsmarting death. I do not think they are seeking suicide. I think they are living life to what they believe is the fullest. Then, if they die, they can die happy, knowing their life was not dull. I guess this is coming to peace with death.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in regards to younger people doing things elders consider reckless, I think that will always happen. Humans learn the best through experience, and the elders have the experience. The youth are trying to gain experience and are always curious.