Tuesday, January 17, 2012
“So
many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative
to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security,
conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of
mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within
a man than a secure future. The very
basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure….there is no
greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a
new and different sun,” (57).
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---By saying giving this advice, McCandless is really expressing “the good life” as he sees it and lives it. Here, however, he offers another aspect to this life. As he says, one cannot live everyday living for the same exact reason, shooting for the same exact goal. Although this is what most people at least attempt to do in order to be successful, while reaching success is definitely possible, true happiness is not. Living like this, life gets boring; one cannot express their “adventurous spirit,” because of the work he or she will constantly be putting in to reach that long-term goal. Time dwindles, and so time to exercise this spirit swifts right past as well. As one gets older, the amount of time too simply decreases. McCandless is not in a great position in his life as most people would see it, but he made the choice to live the way he does. He wants the freedom to explore, to everyday be unknowing of how the day will end, or how the next will begin . Therefore, determining on the person’s personality, McCandless implies this is a choice everyone must make: working towards a goal of life-long security and success, or sacrificial, yet true happiness.
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