How far would you go?

[AndyW]

Survivaltraining - yes, very usefull and gives you a bit of a head start. But to life or to die, it's still between your ears (and it's there, or not).

It's because of what's between your ears that makes you want to undertake survival training. It's that you have a desire to survive and that you want to ensure you know how to in advance and not have to struggle to figure it out.

Me, I'd like to think I've got the survival instinct. As to how far I'd go, well, depends entirely on the situation. If the proverbial has really hit the fan then all bets are off from my point of view but if say it was a plane crash somewhere remote and no help had been forthcoming then that's a different story.

Andy

 

[oldsoldier]

There's a few folks in my life whom I wouldnt mind munching on their bones right now. Does that count? My sanity needs to survive too!

 

[mace242]

pretty sure you wouldnt care how rare the species if you were hungry enough .

I recon I'd draw the line at slugs. But like you say - if it's that or die. I'd rather live.

And I'm wondering if my dog read this last night - she's off with me this morning for some reason......

 

[Old Timer]

Interesting. As I said, I was really only curious.
It looks as though some would do what it takes to survive, while others would put principles before survival, and some would wait and see.
Having had many years to think about this question, I decided long ago that I would do whatever I had to, to survive.
The only time I would consider giving up and dying or sacrificing myself, is if I was with someone I considered more valuable than myself.

 

[Tengu]

Now thats an interesting point

 

[falling rain]

In 'Alive' as most of us know, the survivors survive by eating their dead colleagues flesh. In 'Cold burial' http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-Burial...297511?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179190108&sr=1-22 they all die and as far as can be determined they didn't resort to that despite extreme hunger. They all died of starvation. Maybe it's because they'd spent so much time together and the starvation was long and drawn out. I don't know. Case by case I suppose depending on a lot of factors. Would you be able to bring yourself to eat your wife or mother for example even to save your own life and they'd already perished from cold or starvation. I don't think I could, and would rather join them. On the other hand could I bring myself to eat an unknown perished fellow airline passenger. I don't think I could either, and hope i never have to find out.

 

[Don Redondo]

I would hope that I had enough awareness of my position that I would'nt have to resort to eating my dead companions.

I mean how 'stuck' is stuck. Plane crash high on a mountain...get to a lower altitude, where there is better shelter, better weather and a better chance for finding food and water. adapt and survive.

Given my bulk I should'nt be needing food for a couple of weeks at least.....

 

[Moff8]

If there was a crash and the family was involved

If I was the only survivor then I wouldn't eat either of them, I would leave the area they were in so that I wouldn't be tempted.

If my wife and I survived but my 7yo son didn't I can't see us eating him.

If my son and I survived then I would do what was required to keep him alive even if that meant eating the Mrs. She would approve and if I was the dead one I would hope that she would be strong enough to do the same.

 

[Tengu]

but its unlikley that any of us will be in that situation so why worry?

 

[dommyracer]

I wouldn't kill another human to eat them, but if they were already dead and it was my only option, then I certainly would.

I'd like to think I would do whatever it takes. I've eaten some pretty off the wall things for pleasure, so to do the same to keep youself alive wouldn't be much of a test.

 

[rik_uk3]

What I think I'd do now may well bear no relation to what I'd actually do in a desparate situation. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs will kick in and take over.

I don't think it is possible to say for sure.

Eric

Well said Eric, Maslow could indeed come into play. In nursing, I have seen death many times, and to me, the body is not the person, just an empty shell, and if the situation dictated, I would eat human flesh, family or not. This may sound brutal, but its just how I feel, better to eat and save a life, than let all that fat and protien go to waste, thats the bottom line.

 

[EdS]

yes (long wondered what human flesh tastes like), yes and yes.

But then again I'm an only child and there pretty self relaint, or is it egotistically, anyway.

 

[PhilParry]

Hmmm...


Interesting question. I agree with many peeps here - I don't think anyone truly knows until they've stared death in the face and had to make the decision.

I'm hoping I'll see a tiny glimpse of what this might mean during my Journeyman course next year. It will certainly test areas of my being that I've never explored in detail!!!

Can I let you know October 2008?!!?


Phil

 

[Dr Onion]

Don't know and I hope I never have to find out!

Dr O

 

[gregorach]

(long wondered what human flesh tastes like)

Pork, I believe...

As others have said, it's impossibe to say until you're there. However, I do believe that if you're hungry enough, you'll eat anything you can. I hope I never have to find out the truth of that...

 

[pag_3833]

like alot of people have said, you can't really say what you'd do until faced with death but I honestly think if i had to survive (properly survive) then of course id almost do anything for that and try and stay as stronge as possible mentally as thats what really matters.

 

[Toadflax]

These are my personal thoughts. I am not putting them here to dispute what others have to say. I disagree with some of the comments, but I accept that we all have our differing views.

I think that I would allow myself to die rather than to consume the remains of my companions - and if I knew that I was to die I would strive to make sure that my companions could not make use of my remains. However, I do think that I would eat things that I would normally find repulsive (e.g. slugs, snails, insects) in order to survive - and I would like to think that my knowledge of 'bushcraft' and my resourcefulness would mean that I would not have to turn to eating 'unmentionables'.

Death will come to all of us in its time and there are many, many people who have died far younger than me or who have lived far less satisfying lives. I do not feel that I have any more right than any of these men, women and children to give up what I believe is my essential humanity. To me it is a matter of Honour and when the time comes to face Death, I hope that I will face it with courage and grace and not 'do amything to survive'. That is not to say that I would not struggle to survive, but I believe that an honourable death is better than a dishonourable life.

And in the end, what does it actually matter to you? If you believe in an afterlife, then living for a few more years compared to an afterlife of eternity is nothing. If you do not believe in an afterlife, then once you die you will know nothing about it, so there will be nothing to regret.


Geoff

 

[gregorach]

Ah, but if you don't believe in an afterlife, there's a strong motivation to stay alive as long as you can. Otherwise you may as well just short-circuit the whole issue and kill yourself now. (This is NOT a serious suggestion! )

You're entirely entitled to think whatever you like, but I see nothing honourable in dying for the sake of a taboo.

And then of course there's the simple physiological drive to survive - never underestimate what it can drive you to. If you're thirsty enough, you will drink from an open sewer, whether you want to or not, just like you can't help breathing once your blood CO2 level reaches critical, even if you're underwater.

 

[fredcraft]

Same as many people, I do not know what I would do seriously. But I really think I'd rather die than eat someone else. Kill an animal on verge of extinction to feed, I would do that.

One of the most important feature that makes us human what we are is our ability to feel compassion for others. It's a real powerful sentiment, and eating another human being, IMHO, would be disavowing what I am.

 

[xylaria]

Whatever you do you have to live with yourself afterwards. I don't think I could live with not so much the eating as the prep of long pork. I think I would tread on people to get out of burning plane, i like to think I am altruistic and I would help, but i know myself well enough that my fiery side would see the better of me and I would do something I would live to regret. But I am sure i would live.