We will instinctively do anything to survive
People have survived the most extreme situations known to man that were nearly impossible to come out of alive. Do you really think it was just luck? I believe that when our lives are threatened, like any other animal, we will instinctively do anything to survive. Our fight or flight instinct, taste and hunger to survive and our body’s ability to thermoregulate help us to survive everyday in this world.
When we are faced with danger, stress or a threat, our self defence mechanisms naturally kick in and help us decide whether to stay and fight or to get out of there – flight. Imagine your home has just started to burn into flames. Smoke is engulfing your house and you only have minutes to get out. You wouldn’t just stand there and wait for someone to get you; you’d get low to the ground, try and cover your face and get out! No one has told you to do this, but you do it anyway. In a stressful situation like this, your body releases hormones like adrenalin. This provides you with a major burst or strength and energy and in a life or death situation could ultimately save your life. On the other hand, you may encounter a deadly snake on a bush walk. In this case, most people’s instinct would be not to move. Everyone responds differently to different situations but on many occasions our instinct has helped us persevere.
Every day you have breakfast, lunch and dinner and although you may not realise it, by nature you eat to survive. Naturally, we don’t like bitter flavours but instead like sweet, sugary foods. Although not always the healthiest choice, these foods supply our bodies with energy that is essential for survival. Furthermore, many plants with a bitter taste have been found toxic to humans. But what if you didn’t have the pleasures of your fridge at home? The Uruguayan rugby team that crashed in the Andes definitely didn’t. Of the 45 people on board the plane, 29 had died. The remaining 16 struggled through extreme cold and starvation with their only food source being a bottle of rum and two blocks of chocolate. As the days and weeks past they got weaker and weaker before resorting to cannibalism of those who had perished. I say to myself I