Aron Ralston's Reasoning In Long Hours Theory

At what point do you get led to cut your arm off? Wonder what you would have done if you were in that situation? Aron Ralston, is a dexterous hiker, who craves isolation to embark on adventures and be one with nature. It is a deeply enthralling film of the lengths a person will go to for survival. Ralston faced a terrible choice that most humans pray to be spared- whether to accept death as the foreseeable consequence, or to make a last desperate decision. He was out of the ordinary, an exception to the norm and most humans would not react the same, therefore not portraying accurate human behavior.
The arousal theory states that we are motivated to achieve a high level of arousal or sensation. This explains people seeking to skydive or climb mountains. Aron seeks and is driven by stimulation in his environment. He decides to embark on a journey in which he had not told anybody about. Once arriving, he goes against the “god books” and tries to knock off 45 minutes from this 17-mile bike ride. He met two travelers along the way and encouraged them to embark on a task that puts them at risk and out of their comfort zone. Ultimately, they all …show more content…
I felt as if I could see all theories of motivation throughout this film, specifically focused on the arousal and drive theory. One behavior characteristic that stood out about Aron, is that I found him to be narcissistic. I wonder if narcissism and arousal theory coincide? The arousal theory seems to pin point such drastic careless behaviors, I wonder how many deaths have resulted from the motivation based on this theory. One thing that keeps popping in my mind is thrill seekers such as those who participate in the X games. Many of those athletes have had broken bones, concussions, and some have even fallen to death. Would this have happened if they weren’t out seeking the next thrill? If there’s a will, there’s a way. Life is precious, even with only 15 minutes of