“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 dangerous 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. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
Chris McCandless is talking about how many people choose to not change their lives because we are accustomed to our "normal" ways. McCandless was one of few people who decided to change their lives and live how they wanted to, not by how others made them, or what was "right". Chris McCandless seems to have a point in the first sentence, everyone is scared to make a change in their lives, be it what ever excuse they have. When it comes to someone who wants to be free, travel, see the world, and experience things no one else can and you have them in a controlled environment doesn't seem right. It's like having a tiger as a pet. They want to be free but you have tamed them to stay with you. The life we live now seems boring if you think about it: Wake up, go to school, eat, come home, homework, sleep, and etc. We do that everyday, and we're so used to it that it's nothing unusual. We don't see a "different horizon". In the end Chris McCandless is correct in his statement.
In the book and his life Chris McCandless exemplified his beliefs. He didn't like to receive gifts, he didn't like how money controlled everything and just the way his life was. So when he got his education and graduated from college he headed of to see the world and make his dreams reality. He traveled by foot and survived off of peoples' generosity. He saw a different horizon everyday and made his life exciting. Chris let his spirit run wild and free and made every day his own personal adventure. He got the courage to do everything he wanted and made his life his own. No one told him what to do, all he did was live!
Life today seems to be a circle, sometimes one feels like a zombie trapped in this world. We all do our daily routines and just live on like nothing. Everything is right or wrong, you're criticized and judged if you choose your own path. If Chris McCandless were alive today he would probably ask why we care so much about what other people think, why we do everything we do, or why we just live in this world because we believe it to be "normal". He would most likely encourage us to do our own thing and forget what anyone else says. What's the point of living your life if you are not doing what you love, but what everyone else wants? It's not YOUR life anymore, it's everyone else's life. Sometimes we all want to burst out our inner colours and just yell our hearts out! What's to stop us? Nothing but ourselves. Living in a controlled environment changes you, living in the wild brings you back to earth.
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