1

Caleb Jackson
Professor Intawiwat
UWRT 1103
November 2, 2014

Why would someone voluntarily chose to leave their life behind to go live
in the wilderness with a perilous and primitive lifestyle?
Proposal:
1.

What do you know about your subject already?

I know quite a bit of information on the nature in Alaska, and know a few people with
similar experiences. I know enough to be confident in my writing.
2.

Why did you choose this subject over others? Why does it interest you?

Ive always a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and loved the outdoors, particularly the great
rugged north. I have even previously read up on expeditions to the Alaskan
wilderness. I love the idea of escaping society and becoming your own person, living
as your ancestors have for many millennia.
3.

Write ten questions you want to find answers to. At least half of those can
be fact-based. The rest must be substantive.
1. What percentage of people who venture into the Alaskan Wilderness

survive?
2. How many people live in the Alaskan bush?
3. What are the reasons to live in the wilderness, for those that make the
choice.

4. What are the most stressful factors of daily life?

5. What are the stress levels of people who make this venture?
6. How many months of the year is there snow on the ground in Denali
National
Park
7. How big of a threat is the wildlife?
8. How much do these people miss social interactions?
9. Do people living such solitary lives develop mental disorders more easily?
10. Do people regret secluding themselves so much?
4.

From that list choose one or two of the substantive questions that
interest you most. These will be your primary inquiry as you begin your
research.

What are the reasons to live in the wilderness, for those that make the
choice.

5.

What are the stress levels of people who make this venture?

List, where do you think you will find answers you seek?...
I should be able to find a good bit of factual information from the sources that
wikipedia cites. There should be few good outdoorsman websites that will
have good first hand accounts of similar scenarios, along with other anecdotal
research that I could use.

6.

If the results of your initial research are so numerous you need to narrow
your subject, what you narrow it to?

If I have too many results, I can search for material on people who chose to live
in exclusively Alaska, instead of any untamed wilderness.
7.

If your preliminary research turns up very little information, in what way

will you broaden your subject to open up more research findings?
If I cant find much to use, I can explore the question, Are people who chose to

exile themselves reckless? or maybe Why wouldnt someone want to venture into
the wilderness?

Why Go Into the Wilderness?

Many people enjoy a weekend of camping and roasting marshmallows, but
society loses it when someone attempts to make their life in the wilderness. Living off
the land is certainly not for the faint of heart, and many people dont even survive to

tell their tale. Why would anyone want to leave the comforts of modern society? What
goes through the mind of someone who leaves behind their old life to start anew?
Wilderness survival is much more difficult than depicted on television and should
only be attempted after intense preparation and thorough education. With that said, a
journey back to a more primitive lifestyle can lead to increased happiness, provide a
sense of self-understanding, and a higher self-esteem.
Those who feel unhappy or that something is missing in life have a lot to
benefit from an adventure into the wilderness. Recently research has been done into
using short term wilderness survival as a form of therapy. Students in Ontario, Canada
who came from troubled homes or were likely to drop out of high school were asked
to participate in a wilderness survival experiment. Those who agreed spent five days
in the Canadian bush with a survival specialist. Every participant reported an increase
in happiness and perceived amounts of stress were much lower, even months after
the trip (Larivire). Although research has not been conducted, individuals spending
much longer amounts of time in the wilderness are expected to feel the same results.
Although stress very well may be extreme at certain times in the wilderness, the
worries of daily life are much more simple. Youre only worrying about food, water,
shelter, and sleep in the wild. If you know how to obtain those things, you would have
no other worries; compare that to dealing with work deadlines, finances, and
relationships.
In modern society many people are fed up with the daily grind of things. It is
far too easy to internalize ones feelings, leaving behind a mere facade of a person
navigating daily life. Many people who belong to the professional world have an

underlying, often subconscious belief, Professionalism means keeping feelings,

emotions, and uncertainty to oneself (McLeod). This is a fundamentally flawed ideal,
resulting in a person who does not truly understand their own emotions. Wilderness
survival provides the perfect atmosphere for a person to explore themselves and
understand these emotions. Separation from other people and the daily grind of
things enable a person to deeply comprehend their inner self. As cliche as it may be,
becoming one with nature is also becoming one with oneself. Simple living allows for
huge amounts of time for free thinking where a person can realize their goals and
beliefs.
Having a healthy self-esteem is vastly important to living a happy life. Not only
are people with high self-esteem happier, but high self-esteem also correlates with
getting better grades in school, being more productive in the workplace, having more
confidence, and the ability to demonstrate leadership qualities (Baumeister).
Accomplishments and achievements are crucial to maintaining a healthy self-esteem,
and for an individual there is no greater victory than conquering nature itself.
Wilderness survival gives not only a sense of accomplishment, but also completely
removes any factors in daily life that hurt self-esteem. Wilderness survival offers
people who feel down on themselves a whole new way to boost their self-worth.
Going out into the dangerous and unforgiving wilderness certainly isnt for
everyone. Many people feel content with the lives they live or simply feel it isnt worth
the risk. Theres nothing wrong with this, going out to live off the land is an extreme
decision and many people never return. With such a risk comes potential for great
reward. Many people can benefit from such freedom. The sense of achievement of a

successful journey into the wilderness is unmatched by anything society has to offer,
and short term survival even has therapeutic value. Going into the wilderness could
be the best decision some people make in their entire lives.

Just not for Christopher McCandless

Works Cited
Larivire, Michel, et al. "Behavioural assessment of wilderness therapy participants:
exploring the consistency of observational data." Journal of Experiential Education
35.1 (2012): 290-302. 18 Nov. 2014.
This article is documentation of an experiment regarding the impact on mental
health by survival situations. In the experiment at risk youths (High school students
who are likely to drop out) were made to endure a five day wilderness survival
situation. Before, during, and after the ordeal each participants psychological state
was analysed by three different people: the students teacher, a social worker, and a
clinical psychologist. Every participant felt less stress and reported increased
confidence in social interactions and leadership positions. Most students grades and
self reported levels of happiness increased after the experiment with the effect lasting
for many months.
The experiment shows clear benefits from short term wilderness survival.
Today many people experience high stress levels from numerous different sources.
An outdoors adventure may prove to be tempting for someone experiencing great
stresses, for the sole reason of controlling anxiety. The experiment helps to explain
why some people would chose to embrace a more primitive lifestyle.
The article was composed by six authors, each author having at least one PhD.
It was published in the Journal of Experiential Education, which is a scholarly journal
with a focus on different methods of education. The experiment was conducted in a
scientific manner by qualified professionals making this a very credible and reputable
source.

McLeod, ME. "The Caring Physician: a Journey in Self-Exploration and Self-Care." The
American Journal of Gastroenterology. 98.10 (2003): 2135-8. Print. 18 Nov. 2014.
This document details the trend of doctors becoming increasingly dissatisfied
with their careers. Medical professionals report regret over their choice of a career.
This regret is attributed to a misguided belief, not only in the medical world but the
professional world as a whole, that Professionalism means keeping feelings,
emotions, and uncertainty to oneself The burden of keeping emotions and feelings
internalized can be immense. The proposed fix is that doctors must increase selfawareness. Doctors experiencing this regret must change their way of thinking to be
more positive by exploring their own selves outside of the work environment. Any
form of self exploration such as yoga, meditation, and exercise are encouraged.
Many people, not limited to medical professionals, internalize their feelings.
People in need of exploring their own mind could easily be enticed to trek into the
wilderness. The separation from other individuals and daily life as a whole provided
by the wild is an excellent environment to facilitate self exploration. The need for self
exploration is the number one reason people chose to go on such a journey.
The author is a professor in the school of medicine for Duke University and has
spent time as a clinical doctor, making him a well qualified individual to write the
document. The document was published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology,
which is a scholarly journal focusing on the science of the digestive system. The article
seems out of place to be published here, but the journal also publishes material on the
medical community as a whole.
Baumeister, Roy F, Jennifer D. Campbell, Joachim I. Krueger, and Kathleen D. Vohs. "Does
High Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or
Healthier Lifestyles?" Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 4.1 (2003): 1-44. Print.
18 Nov. 2014.
This article explains the importance of having a healthy self-esteem.Having a higher
self-esteem shows a direct correlation to having better grades in school, being more
productive in the workplace, being more attractive and likeable, and ability to
demonstrate leadership qualities. People with a high self-esteem benefit society more.
In order to better our society, it is beneficial for our culture to encourage individuals
to have a higher self-esteem.
There is a great sense of accomplishment for an individual who conquers the
wilderness. The sense of accomplishment is a direct contributor to having a higher

self esteem. Individuals who are down on themselves could benefit greatly from this.
The opportunity to leave behind factors that contribute to a low self-esteem is
enticing for anyone.
This article is peer reviewed and each of the four authors hold positions at
various universities in the United States and Canada. The article was published in a
scholarly journal entitled Psychological Science in the Public Interest. The journal only
publishes state-of-the-art science and viewpoints relating to psychology, making this
a credible source.

Conger, Cristen. "How Does Your Brain Impact Your Survival Chances in the Wilderness?"
HowStuffWorks. 21 Apr. 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.

Gilmore, Ross. "Living Off The Land: Delusions and Misconceptions About Hunting and
Gathering." Wood Trekker. Blogspot, 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.