A recent study shows people how to prolong their life in devastating circumstances. Ever wondered how people survive in stressful situations and if you could do the same? This study can tell you whether or not you’ve got the chops.
Laurence Gonzales talks about character traits that almost all disaster survivors have in common in his book “Deep Survival.” This study, which was recently covered in a feature article on CNN.com, is fascinating. Gonzales studied accounts of survivors in all sorts of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and hostage situations and found some interesting similarities. He said that one must be humble, not feel like a victim, be an independent thinker and have strong family bonds.
In terrifying situations like the Sept. 11 attacks or the tsunami in Myanmar, Gonzales said that 75 percent of people either freeze up or wander around in a daze. It is the people that don’t act like they are the victims of a tragedy that make it out. They are better able to focus on the problem around them and find a solution instead of saying, “What do I do? What do I do?” They aren’t whiners or complainers; they simply focus and try to come up with something useful.
Humility is also very important. Apparently, the likely survival candidates are actually the first to go. It is a humble person that realizes when they can’t do something. Instead of being gung ho and trying to hack through the wilderness like he knows what he’s doing, a humble person will be aware of when he needs to rest and when he isn’t physically able to do something. So to all those take-charge people out there, I issue this warning: Be cautious. This study kind of makes you think about changing your attitude, huh?
People who want to survive also tend to pray or call on a higher power. This again shows that these people are humble. They know they cannot endure on their own strength, so they call on a strength much greater then themselves. Praying also seems to help people focus. Oftentimes when in a stressful situation, one’s thoughts bounce all over the place. Quoting scripture, repeating the Lord’s Prayer or just talking to God out loud tends to help people stay calm and to focus their energy on more important things than whining.
Something I found interesting in this let’s-all-be-lemmings world is the fact that it takes an independent thinker to survive disasters. Gonzales uses the example of people trapped in the Twin Towers on Sept. 11. Security personnel told people to stay where they were and help would come to them, but most of those people died. It was the ones who didn’t follow the rules and ran downstairs who survived. It is important not to have “group mentality” in these situations and just do what everyone else does. It requires someone (as corny as it is) who thinks outside the box. It is the people who are creative, inventive and not dependent on others for ideas who will be able to survive when no one else does.
Something else people who want to be survivors should work on? Creating strong family bonds. Gonzales said that you have to have someone to live for. No, it can’t be your boyfriend or girlfriend (they might leave you if you come through a disaster deformed or disfigured). Your family, however, is stuck with you. They will be there for you if you give them a reason to be. I know this concept may be difficult for many of you who have just discovered a newfound independence and don’t want to go back to being “dependent” on your parents. Developing an adult relationship with them, on the other hand, is an entirely different thing and it will help you survive stressful situations.
People have proven time and time again the age-old adage, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” The people that have the most to fight for and know they can’t do everything on their own ability are the ones who seem to last long enough for rescue to be possible. It is feasible that you too can survive a deadly situation if you have or can develop these important character traits. Who knows, they may one day save your life.
Hannah Kaase is a sophomore majoring in animal and dairy science. She can be contacted at [email protected].