“If the body dies, it does no harm to the mind, but if the mind dies, one can no longer act as a man even though the body survives.” This quote by Yoshida Shoin, a Japanese monk and intellectual, suggests that the mind can take more punishment than the body. While some scholars interpret this saying as relating to the afterlife, it can also be affiliated with matters of existence of demise. After exploring several texts about survival, it is evident that surviving grueling conditions takes more than the basic strength, resourcefulness, and courage. In the event that one is faced with their own life in their hands, the most important factors to survival are substantial instincts, perseverance, and a steady, positive mental attitude. One of the major components of surviving
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Staying positive in the worst of times often gives us the motivation we need to keep going. Paul Rusesabagina explains how he remained positive during the Rwandan genocide, where over 800,000 innocent Tutsis were slaughtered by their own neighbors within 100 days. Paul was able to save 1,268 people by hiding them in his five-story hotel, even though he possessed very limited supplies and resources. In his memoir, Paul Rusesabagina explains that “anybody with a gun could have taken these things away (from me) quite easily” (CR80). In this scenario, Paul stayed positive during the genocide, despite having very limited and inefficient supplies. If he had given up on the 1,200 people he saved, they would have been butchered and slaughtered violently like their family and friends. Another prime example of staying enthusiastic during harsh times comes from Lane Wallace’s argumentative article, “Is Survival Selfish?” She explores this idea by including a real story about the
Staying positive in the worst of times often gives us the motivation we need to keep going. Paul Rusesabagina explains how he remained positive during the Rwandan genocide, where over 800,000 innocent Tutsis were slaughtered by their own neighbors within 100 days. Paul was able to save 1,268 people by hiding them in his five-story hotel, even though he possessed very limited supplies and resources. In his memoir, Paul Rusesabagina explains that “anybody with a gun could have taken these things away (from me) quite easily” (CR80). In this scenario, Paul stayed positive during the genocide, despite having very limited and inefficient supplies. If he had given up on the 1,200 people he saved, they would have been butchered and slaughtered violently like their family and friends. Another prime example of staying enthusiastic during harsh times comes from Lane Wallace’s argumentative article, “Is Survival Selfish?” She explores this idea by including a real story about the