The psychology of survival

[Edwin]

Although accounts of how people survived are interesting, inspiring etc and information on what resources the human mind and brain can draw on in extremis might be valuable I see a logical flaw in such books. An analogy is with those "How to study" books. These have a limited use in pointing out the obvious in terms of organising oneself but if one could follow all their precepts then one is able to study and concentrate anyway so have no need of such a book.

How is such a book to turn a headless chicken into a cool, calm and collected survivor? The best advice I have ever read on, for example, the subject of getting lost was in Kephart's Camping and Woodcraft. If you feel you are lost in the woods then sit down, stop, think.

After all has any purchaser of "How to win friends and influence people" ever made any friends and influenced anybody?

[Realearner]

It is quite easy to understand as some people just give up and die. I know of one story where a beginner to scuba diving was left on the outside of a wreck in Scapa Flow he just sat there underwater and died all he had to do was to swim about 20 -30 meters and he would have been ok when they found him I think his lungs had no water in so he dry drowned.

Hi there, I find this one to be more of a bad story, being an ex diving instructor, the first rule is never leave a student diver alone. If the story is true then it was bad instruction.
But as posted elsewhere on this thread the human mind is a very strange bit of kit.

[Selfmadeboys88]

Are you sitting comfortably? Here's a story I use on courses ...

An American Airforce pilot put his plane down in Greenland, in the snow. The next day, the rescue crew found the plane. There was a set of footprints that went out a half mile from the plane then round in a circle and back. The pilot was sat in the cockpit, cigar stubbed out on the dash, his service revolver in his hand and bullet hole in his head. He was survival trained, he was wearing his down flying suit and the plane was equipped with a life raft and a survival kit. This poor chap clearly lacked the will.

Wow, Probably taking that walk around didnt help. Just seeing the vastness probably really hurt his will.

[bushcraftboy]

It's incredibly important if you find yourself in a survival situation to think positive because you have the power to survive if you do. But if you keep thinking to yourself "I'm gonna die", then you probably will...

[nilo52]

one thing that is hasn't been mentioned on the site is the power of positive thinking. You could be perfectly set up for a survival situation but end up dead if you have a pessimistic attitude. Where as a positive person could be given next to nothing but still survive for as long as it takes to get rescued. It's an interesting subject and it makes you wonder how many people have died needlessly because of negative thoughts. As oddball out of kelly's heroes might say, "knock it off with the negative waves."

love that movie

[nilo52]

CRAPGAME would BUY his way out

HillBilly would just deal with it by making do

Kelly would save everyone

[David_JAFO]

hello,
Crapgame "Make him a Deal Deal.." one of the best War Movie OST
Regards
David
Ps.The link for the OST was up but had to remove it