Chris McCandless Analysis (Into the Wild)
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 01. 2021
- This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case of Chris McCandless. McCandless was featured in the book “Into the Wild” and later in a movie with the same name. Support Dr. Grande on Patreon: / drgrande
www.newyorker.com/books/page-...
www.newyorker.com/books/page-...
Would you like to listen to my content in podcast form? With my partners at Ars Longa Media, we released True Crime Psychology and Personality: Narcissism, Psychopathy and the Minds of Dangerous Criminals. Subscribe to it anywhere you listen to podcasts.
I'm looking forward to putting more of my content into audio and developing new, original podcasts on mental health topics. Visit us online, and feel free to reach out with your questions or ideas by going to arslonga.media.
Dr. Grande’s True Crime Psychology and Personality podcast: www.arslonga.media
Check out Dr. Grande’s merchandise at: teespring.com/stores/dr-grand...
I lived in Alaska for 3 years. This young man lost his life because he did not prepare. The summers in Alaska are heaven and the winters are hell. A tragedy that did not have to happen.
Agreed even after he was told to prepare
So many people told him not to do it and that it wasn't safe. He ignored them thinking it would somehow be different for him
Lived in Anchorage for 2 years. The wilderness is far more dangerous than most think; it'll get you even when prepared, going in when experienced people advise against it is borderline delusional.
I also lived in anchorage (and Sitka) for five years. Even living in the city in the winter is difficult and takes some preparation. It’s so easy to have a romantic idea of what Alaska is like. Living in Alaska isn’t easy. Chris was naive.
Yes he was just full of romantic ideas of living off the land. Its all very well running away from issues, but unless you're on a death wish, even fully prepared, I would not go and hide out in Alaska during winter.... NO WAAAAY! Hungry predators, lack of survival skills and eating, no foragable food and a freezing cold bus, no no thank you!
As a RN, I have adopted the "speculating here, not diagnosing" into my daily lexicon.
Well ya, nurses cannot diagnose.
Only in a nursing care plan. 😏
Work in a hotel or I use it too LOL
Ditto. I used to say "it SEEMS to be the case that IF...THEN..." which still a lot of people appear to hear as too concrete a claim & not conditional or open to revision. "I'm only speculating here & not diagnosing/declaring just hypothesising what might be happening in a situation like this" has become the start of almost all my sentences in common & professional parlance that aren't just requests & has reduced miscommunication and misunderstandings a lot. Extra helpful to end with a reminder that it's only speculation based on what can be observed & is therefore inconclusive, so they still don't walk away with the wrong impression (Especially if they operate on a faith based epistemology). Also, in considering this, I need this on a shirt to save me some time lol. If Dr Grande makes some ill 100% buy
Great word LEXICON is
I always thought he had some sort of PTSD from constant stress of living with his family for his whole childhood and was more of an introvert...wanting to shut the world out and finally have some peace.
Had a narcissistic father and CMc was rebelling against all that was wrong with that!
i got that vibe too
That kind of stressor is also associated with the onset of bi-polar. Which comes on, about his age.
You could be right, something was driving him to live the way he did.
Northern Girl, l suspect you’re not far off. This is common when the majority of the voices in your head weren’t permitted to be your own.
I really admired him when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I’m glad I never tried to follow his lead.
Is why i forbid this story for my kid, she's 14 now so we'll see how much longer i can control this. I'm deathly afraid of this sort of influence. I'm happy you stayed in your path.
Ali living I read this book at 14. I didn’t see it as a story I wanted to emulate. I mean, take a look at how Chris’s life ended. He started with an ok idea, but was extremely ill prepared and it cost him his life. If anything, it can give the lesson of being well prepared for any serious life changes.
No friend, you just let the world change your mind. In this life, you make your own choices, no one forces you to follow in the footsteps of any one, and when you do, can not blame the outcome on the former. He died in Christ, and because He acknowledged Christ, he will live forever. I have nothing bad to say about this man, in fact, I feel we may have more in common than not.
@@aliliving7774 i grew up in that state. I got accidentally lost as a kid in a forest and it was frightening.
But I never get lost when prepared.
Please consider teaching your kid the basics of orienting and using the compass. (These days you can bring satellite GPS units that work anywhere.) But it might be a fun activity for your family . :)
I’m glad you didn’t....such a tragic story
I am a therapist who was born and raised in Alaska. I must emphasize that it is very easy to die in AK. Beyond predators, the terrain and weather can be unpredictable and punishing. I have personally talked to many people from the Lower 48 who have romanticized McCandless' death, but his death was easily preventable. If you decide to visit Alaska, please take reasonable steps to be safe; the state has many state and national parks that visitors can enjoy safely.
Even if you survive, you’re still in Alaska. There’s no winning.
@@HkFinn83 Alaska is indescribably beautiful, I highly recommend a visit. Summer only though and watch out for bears--Anchorage area had three fatal predatory black bear attacks the last summer I was up (2017). I live in Oregon now and miss it (but not enough to put up with nine month winters again).
@@junipersages yeh I’m not worried about bear attacks, I go everywhere with my pet hippo.
Pride kills more often than the wilderness.
@@HkFinn83 haha, I would love to see that!
"His father had difficulty regulating his intake of alcohil." That's very well put, Dr. Grande. I like that.
As a Canadian I thought he said it just fine 🙂
What’s alcohil ;)
Love Dr Grande, but on that one I wished he had called it more clearly out as alcoholism. I feel so bad for that McCandless kid. It is no joke growing up with alcoholics.
His father collected empty bottles
I don't know why society still counts "drug-related" crimes, but forgets to mention alcohol is involved in a huge percentage of them.
I watched the movie 'Into the Wild' twice, with wildly varying reactions. Once while in college, and once after backpacking the JMT. While in college, I romanticized McCandless, saw him as a hero, an outlier. The second time, I saw him as immature. Just two weeks in the wilderness had taught me gratitude for society, lightbulbs, grocery stores, etc. You don't know what you have til it's gone - damn right.
I hiked Mount Whitney with 2 guys who had beginners hiking experience, but we prepared with altitude sickness pills, not bring too much and use the water filter for natural water sources. They both didn’t make it to the top while I did, but it was grueling for all of us and fun at the same time.
Many people have actually died trying to imitate mccandleless and the bus he took shelter in. Eventually the bus was moved because of the deaths.
💯 my thoughts after seeing it twice, first at 22 and second 37.
I was a resident of the State of Alaska for 17 years. I remember the news about Chris. Everybody thought that it was an insane thing he did by not having the necessary provisions to survive in the wilderness.
I'm an Army veteran. It just baffles me people doing this stuff, when you can test yourself and what you can do and GET PAID FOR IT in the military.
Here in CZcams there's a documentary by his sister. It sheds light to the history of abuse and violence by his father. It's pretty eye-opening. Everyone reacts differently to a tough family history, it's sad his took him on a road that led to his too early death.
She wrote a book, too. I wonder if that doco was the same program that aired on my local PBS station; it was very good.
😢
@@sarah2.017 She did a TED talk too that was very informative.
Do you have a link?
@@melanie7466 It's called "Return to the Wild", you'll find it that way.
I love how Dr Grande does requests for us! This is one of the coziest corners of CZcams for me which is awesome considering the material covered haha.
💙✌️
Same here
He's the 🐐
Agreed! God bless Dr. Grande. 🙏🏽
I know right?! 😁👍🏾
After reading the book , I found him to be more a young man who was unprepared & with out knowledge to survive in the wilderness . Instead of thinking of him as a hero, I felt sorry for his family's loss. Thank you Dr.Grande, great video as always !
I disagree with Doc on this one. He was a very young man and their frontal lobes aren't fully formed which makes them prone to stupid risk taking. It's probable that he would have grown more cautious about his risk taking with age. It also sounds like his dad's betrayal to his mother had affected him deeply and maybe he didn't feel he had much to live for.
@@robk2257 he was a total idiot and his parents never called him out on his bullshit. ... and he was the type who ran with it. ...... couldn’t hang the hinges for a shit house door but he was going to survive in Alaska.... sure. ..... 🤦♀️
@@ladyluck5248 His parents were physically and emotionally abusive to him. He made bad decisions because he had bad options.
@@robk2257 true. Tis a fact young men make all kinds of stupid choices. Jon Krakauer includes his own experiences as a young man that were very similar to McCandless in the book. He too, made bad choices and was underprepared, but for whatever Krakauer lived to tell his story. He also tells stories of young men very similar to McCandless.
@@ladyluck5248 If youv'e never had a parent who is, or had first hand and on going and been the target of a sociopath / psychopath.
It can be very hard to understand just how much this can f_ _k a person over even if you follow channels like this.
I can understand ownly to well how he could have made bad decisions later in his life because of the way he was treated by his parents as he was growing up.
After spending half my twenties idolizing people like McCandless and Jim Morrison, I realize that they were not good people to emulate. Jim Morrison was dangerous to himself and others despite being a great artist.
At least death wasn't Jim Morrison's only contribution that he left for posterity.
Alcohol had a lot to do with his downfall, crippled his body with it
Try jesus.
Steps to christ by ellen white.
The great controversy by ellen white.
All the best
@@mattluszczak8095 I mean looking at Jesus life objectively, remove the supernatural mumbo jumbo and he's a cautionary tale as well.
"A man's got to know his limitations."
- Dirty Harry
So true. 😮
I tend to see him as an overly freedom/nature-romantic fool with more confidence than knowledge.
Very well put.
A very young fool
Me too. Could of just been his personality or possibly something like bipolar.
@@badcornflakes6374 yes, a really dumb fool.
He wasn't an fool, he just wanted to get away because of the problems at home. Here on CZcams is his sister's documentary. He sheds light on the history of his father's abuse and violence. It quite opens my eyes. Everyone reacts differently to the difficult family history, it is sad that he took him on the path that led to his too early death.
OMG Dr. Grande one of my wolfies was in this movie!! I rescued her from Alaska, one of 30 wolves that were going to be shot by Alaskan authorities because the owners refused to comply with regulations regarding ownership. Bob Barker donated money and a plane to get them out of Alaska after local vets volunteered to spay/neuter and microchip them all. They were brought to Washington state then put on a truck and sent to a rescue in southern CA. I picked one up as a buddy to a wolf I had who lost his female friend, didn't know she had been in this movie till I read through her paperwork. Anyway, thank you for this analysis.
@JV Harbin she was the absolute sweetest animal. She has since passed away, in the summer of 2019. I miss her so much. She was cautious around people but would lay down and roll over for belly rubs. Her rescued male buddy, who was very bonded to her, died 2 months later after crawling into the den she had dug. It was heartbreaking. Wolves are amazing animals. I am not promoting ownership of wolves or wolf hybrids, I just had facilities to keep a pair of rescues at a time, allowing sanctuaries to have room for others.
What a great story! I think Barker was into animal rights very much!
That’s awesome!
@@bonniedunbar6717 yes he was. Great guy.
@@BurroGirl I'm so sorry for your loss. She was lucky to have you...and you her.🐾💙
I have always surmised that this young mans reckless uncaring attitude towards himself was the result of his insensitive, unloving and dysfunctional upbringing. He needed to be as far away from them and their lifestyle as possible and had never been taught how to care for himself on a deeper level
I think "Into the Wild" is an inspiring story, but that most people miss the most important takeaway.
He spent his last days seeking to be away from people due to his own trauma, falsely believing he would survive on his own, but only when nearing death did he realize his truth:
"Happiness is only real when shared".
He even admitted his most treasured experiences were the people he met along the way.
♥
A good analysis, and think you're pretty much correct.
Exactly. He knew he fucked around and found out…but by then it was too late. Not a bad kid, just misguided and unprepared. RIP Chris
terrible movie and not inspirational story at all. he was aggorant and thought he was better than everyone. zero knowlege or trainining to do what he tried amd he had plenty of time to figure that out andnturn around. he was ignorant and hard headed. entitled rich kid thinks hes able to do anything he wants and learns his lesson. its not an uncommon story. dont romantisize him or his actions or words.
I’ve been binging Dr. Grande videos. I was hospitalized with covid for a month and now I’m home recovering in bed. These videos entertain and also educate on mental health. Thanks for all the amazing content and great humor!
Oh wow. I'm happy you're home now and hope you recover fully very quickly!!
hugs to you! Please take great care of yourself. This is a great way to spend your recovery time, away from news and anything else that is exhausting.
Hey, hope you continue to heal! Much love 😘🙏
I hope you feel better soon! 🤗
I am so glad you're feeling better covid-19 it's not something to mess around
🤣 "The old 'Picture Satan is chasing you' trick". You *never* fail to deliver! 🤣
Yeah, he's basically Patrice O'neal
When running, I pretend I'm being chased by the Turnbull ACs.
Like Tam O’ Shanter.
I know LOL. I always used the "alligators chasing you" trick
I know, and he stays so deadpan too!
Being the child of an alcoholic is almost always creates chaos in your life. They destroy everything you need to become a functioning member of society. I think you described Chris perfectly in that he really was bouncing around his life without any direction or plan. He needed a community that could steady him and stop the disordered thinking in his head. His death was a tragic but inevitable end when you stumble out into nature unprepared with only dreams in your head.
Excellent 👍👍
He needed a community he could count on that was genuine; values were important to him, he did need to be out in the open, perhaps he could have been an organic farm hand. Why would you say not empathetic??? nah, I don’t agree with your diagnosis. some folks just can’t live in the city.
@@sahej6939 I think people did try to offer him a stable place to live but he was focused on the chaos in his head.
Yep. Dreams arent something you can cook with onions
I always wondered why he didn't want to stay in slab city (if that was the name). From the way the movie portraied him, he generally didn't seem too interested in the people he met along the way.
I’ve read a biography about Chris and seen the movie Into the Wild. I was so frustrated that he was so careless with his life. He didn’t take any advice from others and in the end his carelessness caused his sisters much grief and sadness. I don’t consider him a hero.
Me neither, but think the author, Krakauer wanted to know what was driving McCandless to live the way he did, and risk his life.
I completely agree. Causing your family that much hurt is never heroic. It's mean and heartless. There are ways he could have done this and not initially Hurt oyhers
Same but then again he accomplished his dreams
@@charmainelouie5314 I don’t think his dream was to starve to death. All I’m saying is that what he did was selfish, his family suffered because of his failure to educate himself and plan well.
Meena H before Alaska
Hey Doc, not speculating but diagnozing myself that I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU AND YOUR SHADES and also your plants introduction❤❤🇩🇪🇩🇪
Get in line!
“Difficultly regulating intake of alcohol.” Omg
@@wookieboss2643
Amen
Me too!🥰
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
“It’s like his father didn’t know how the whole marriage thing worked” the subtle shade haha, you’re sneaky Dr. Grande, I love that.
Every journey brings answers. He found his own. He wrote "happiness is only real when shared". He must have felt so lonely and scared at the end. RIP.
That's very insightful. Thank you.
Hell isn't other people, it's no people.
@@toniam.2080 I think it can be both. A life without people can be hell or bliss.
"...like burning your house down to feel warm" very interesting analogy
more likely "burning down the house to appreciate the house"
mr magoo was legally blind and would blindly walk into danger just like chris. mr magoo, like chris, had problems accepting his limitations
I think that comparison was unkind and disrespectful to Chris
I would say, he is more of the pathology of Waldo.
@@tracyfeldwick4311 and I found that comparison slighted Mr.Magoo
Mr Magoo dressed more fashionably
@@tracyfeldwick4311 I think the comparison was unkind and disrespectful to Dr Magoo! He lived....
His early dysfunctional family parental upbringing is probably didn't help with his decision later in life
Yes, the second family came to light later... the story was more complex than the movie.
Agreed! I don’t understand how this aspect of his psyche has not been given more attention. I believe it has everything to do with his lack of care for himself and reckless behaviour, so sad
Yup. I'd guess his turning away from the world was strongly linked from trying desperately to turn away from an unbearable home life.
Yes. His Trust was irrevocably destroyed. My father was a family-destroying philanderer and my mother 'the other woman'. It wasn't until teens that my 3 older siblings were disclosed. It Broke my ability to Trust, I have ZERO Respect for the Morals and Values they were bent on instilling, because they had NONE! Its laughable, really. The feeling of Betrayal is almost unbearable, because you realize that he threw away his 3 children, what's to stop him from throwing ME away?
His sister gave a sympathetic TED Talk which shed light on his motivations
My personal feeling after seeing the movie about him and reading JK's book is what a sad waste of a life with such potential. I find it sad that so many young people have mistakenly romanticized the tragedy of Chris's life choices and terrible end as if it's something to be emulated. What he really needed was in depth counseling to resolve the anger and bitterness he felt towards his parents.
Sadly, think Chris found out too late that he needed more than time alone, but by then he was unable to leave the place he found himself. For all of Chris's intelligence, he was unable to think outside the box of his surroundings, and perhaps by then was too weak physically to seek a way out. Yes, Chris should be remembered, not as a hero, but instead as a warning of what NOT to do. Life is more precious than you can imagine, you only have one.
"To be fair to Mr Magoo, Mr Magoo survived" DAMN that was a sick burn.
Mr. Magoo lived and made people laugh; this kid died and made everyone sad. Mr Magoo wins every time!!
When I read this book when it came out, I knew a few adults and someone in their 20s that had been in and out of facilities his whole young life for being bipolar. There were behaviors and actions described in the book of Mr. McCandless that reminded me of the people I knew would do...not diagnosing anything, it just struck me at the time, particularly burying things at various locations like cash and being crazy altruisic with giving things away to feel exilarated
Doesn't the Bible say to give? The world didn't like the "patterns" of Christ either.
Leaving one's mode of transportation and financial resources to flee to an extremely harsh unforgiving climate alone not being organized about anything feeling like they can take on the world unrealisrically has nothing to do with Christianity and everything ti do with mental illness. I'm a Christian and have had bipolar people in my life. I'm not criticizing him just seeing things I've observed in my life
No, I don't think that's it. You are free to give as you please. He seemed more narcissistic abd/or naive as if he believed nothing could hurt him
@Phoenix to Detroit He was also at that special age when bipolar disorder usually begins to onset in young adults
@@alwaysflushinpublic except hippies grew out of it. You don’t grow out of being bipolar...in fact, it gets worse with age for a lot of people.
Much respect to you, Dr. Grande. I imagine you put in quite the number of hours to produce this free content. We need more people online who provide objective analyses, such as yourself. Take care!
It must be another full time job!
“Too adventurous....perhaps he had a death wish.......Free at last, free at last. Thank GodAlmighty, I’m free at last”
I could see this.
People with bi-polar depression do flirt with death a lot. Even while manic. Like the guy who impulsively stole a plane at Sea-Tac. You can hear it in his voice the whole time, he's manic, but depressed as hell too. A passenger in his own head.
@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking wait somebody stole a plane at seatac? What's that's mean and what happened
I was the person that contacted you on Facebook and asked you to cover this story. Thank you so much!
Here for the peacefulness you bring- Also, for the rotation of plants. :)
I think he was an avoidant personality.
@@robinabner3118 You're entitled to your especulations.
I think he's perfect.
Two opinions. Yours and mine.
lol @ the rotation of plants! Mostly cuz it's true.
One of the saddest story I ever heard, I was traumatized after watching the biopic 🥺
🙄
Essentially he was grizzly man without the bears.
I wonder what’s worse; getting eaten by a bear or slowly starving to death. Ugh
@@piperhurtado4945 Getting mauled by a bear is probably a little more traumatic and painful I would say. Of course I'm only speculating...
@@Leadfoot_P71 the worst of it is they eat you while you’re still alive. Starting with the intestines. That’s what’s they eat first because they’re nutritious. Via the rectum. That’s the last thing I’d want, to have the intestines eaten via the rectum. That sounds extremely uncomfortable.
@@Leadfoot_P71 why don’t these people take up a hobby like gardening or something instead of playing with bears and eating poison berries in an old truck?
@@HkFinn83 🤮
It's such a sad loss - he seemed like a nice، decent person. Naive perhaps, and not a pioneer, just someone who wanted to find his own way...
Yeah, I felt bad for him too. His sister is an opportunistic horror though.
OTHER PEOPLE: I'd listen to so-and-so read the phone book.
DR. GRANDE PEOPLE: I'd listen to him read the DSM-5.
He kinda does already. He's gone through a number of disorders and outlined the possible criteria. Maybe a Patreon request could be to add F-Codes to his scripts?
DSM-5 on audio by Dr G woulda been a hit
@@DonPeyote420 😍
My OCD thanks you for turning the cactus so that the label on the pot isn't showing.
😂😂😂
I got a little of that going on too. 😁
😂
Lol
Ha ha ha ha ha ,
GREAT !!
When I was seventeen, I idolized him. Now, as an adult, I see where he went wrong. His motivation and his story are very relatable, but he was deeply misguided.
Mercifully, as an adult, I've traveled all over the country and gotten the same thrills without getting myself killed. Someday I hope to see more. Thanks to the cautionary tale of McCandless, I always go prepared.
@@sheepdog03 Who am I to judge? Somebody who, like McCandless, regularly travels in search of self-discovery. And somebody who, unlike him, isn't dead.
@@sheepdog03 Do you believe being dead is better than being alive?
@@sheepdog03 Well, in the case of self-discovery, it's really something you only enjoy while alive. I don't think McCandless was suicidal. But who knows. It seems like his death wasn't intended.
@@thoughtfuldevil6069 I think he was subconsciously very self-destructive and unable to be happy, therefore all of that "discovering himself" and spirituality. He was desperately searching for something which would bring him inner peace and happiness. But he had opportunities and didn´t see them, like with his hippe friends. Or with his sister who cared about him a lot but he went away selfishly and she was left stressed, which IMHO doesn´t make him much better than the selfish, money and power-hungry types he despised.
@@sheepdog03 The point is that I'm smart enough to prepare myself when I go out into the wilderness. Chris wasn't. That's how he got himself killed by starvation/poisoning.
Hippies: "He was a hero and is a great inspiration!"
Alaskans: "He was a complete idiot..."
Haha. You got that right.
Maybe they both have a point?
Coming from a town of "back to the land" type hippies/proto hippies (they started in the depression) most of them thought he was a moron too. City hippies for whom nature is a place they visit/dream about....yeah you're basically right.
I'm better prepared when I go out for a day hike than this idiot was. I feel bad for his friends and family but he should have known better.
@@ufc990 He didn’t really have either.
Every time i hear “Hello this is Dr.Grande” my day gets better 👍🏻
This story is heartwrenchingly sad.
It really is..
why? he seems to have had more adventure then many who grow old..
@@runs_through_the_forest How does the amount of adventure define one´s happiness? It doesn´t and this boy was obviously chronically unable to be happy and was self-destructive.
@@runs_through_the_forest Where's the adventure? Hunting a little? Sleeping outdoors? Eating berries? He went hiking, stayed too long and ended up starving to death. That's not much of an adventure. Lots of people went hiking and returned alive, able to travel the world, see different places and cultures, maybe learn an unusual skill, meet different people ... they had a lot more of adventure than he did.
@@thatsalt1560 well yes indeed but wasn't he on the road, traveling and such for a while? i only saw the movie, which of course is a bit of a one sided view or romanticized i guess.. i've done a few hikes and i won't get myself killed like him thanks to being unprepared..
"Perhaps the purpose of your life is simply to act as a warning to others". - anon
To add to this, I feel like he also made this decision out of rebellion. It seemed like he came from a family of high expectations and he exiled himself into the wild to pursue freedom. I too come from a family like that, and whenever my stress is humongous, I find myself subconsciously wanting to go extreme ways just to revolt... idk I kinda feel for this man
Right, that also explains why he'd choose to do something as boring as working for Burger King in California. It was such a stark contrast to his family's expectations so it felt like rebellion to him.
He did what he had to do. He paid the price but hopefully he was happy.
That's stupid, you're stupid.
Yes but did you? He did.
I'm trying to understand how a recent college grad who drives a Datsun 210 was able to donate $24,000.
His parents were loaded
He had a trust fund.
His parents put the money into a fund for him. He had just graduated from college and was going to study law. They offered to buy him a brand new car but he did not want it.
It was his trust fund. He drove the Datson because he didn’t want to become materialistic like his parents (in his view)
Inheritance
"In their journey of self-discovery, they end up discovering death." 😂😂😂 ah...the nuanced delivery 😂😂🤣
I’ve always felt that Chris was foolish - perhaps due to being overly confident. He also seemed to be impulsive and unable to weigh risks and consequences. I wonder if, by the time he decided to hike out, he was having trouble (or more trouble) with distorted thinking. To me it seems logical that he should have hiked along the river in both directions just to see if he could find a way across or some help.
Could be, but he may have thought the entire river was this way, plus he didn't prepare.
Starvation can do a number on your brain's ability to function. Reasoning and planning (2 of the brain's executive functions) are among the first to become impaired.
In the early 2000's a young couple became so impaired that they froze to death along a highway, several hundred feet from their car. The car still had over 1/4 tank of fuel and additional clothing inside it.
In this case the cause of the brain changes was different than starvation, it was the first time they had tried meth. They even contacted 911 but were so disoriented that they couldn't effectively communicate their location. They got landmarks and street names wrong. They were within sight of a farmhouse with people inside, but mistook the cows they saw for hostile humans that wouldn't didn't speak English.
I really really wonder how this played out with Chris. His brain could have prevented him from generating more ideas on how to get out. Maybe he couldn't effectively form a multi-step plan.
That also had me wondering - why didn't he just continue along the river to see if he could cross somewhere else? Maybe he thought the river would carry less water soon so he just wanted to wait it out in the bus. The movie mentions that he had always been afraid of water. But we'll never know.
What I didn't understand is why he never contacted anyone, not even his sister.
This book and movie bring me to absolute sobs every time. Don McClean's song Vincent kind of describes Chris, too. Naive and suffering. I was glad when his sister decided to give the story of disfunction behind her brother's folly. She felt a sense of responsibility.
I’ve just always seen this young man as altruistic with a heavy dose of arrogance. He ignored advice and assumed that he would conquer the natural elements and bend them to his will. That is a fool’s errand and he paid the ultimate price. Sad waste of young life.
Elitist.😢
I should add- your assessment is much more fair and even handed. He was neither saint nor sage or all fool. Thanks for video.
I think McCandless' new authority was his Alaskan surroundings, dictating if he ate, stayed warm or even if he was able to beat the harsh winter. He wouldn't be told anything by anyone, and this included the weather, he stuck two fingers up to it and it got the better of him.... As it was bound to.
It’s mentioned in his notes that he was now a prisoner of the wild. He left one prison for another.
I think he was somewhat in-between. He had admirable qualities as well as flaws. I think that his experiences were meaningful to him, which gave them some worth, but I think that he could have had experiences that were equally meaningful without taking such risks. I enjoy going outdoors, and sometimes do camping trips in national forests where I'm alone and have to rely on myself. I find these experiences meaningful. However, I always tell people where I'm going, and when I expect to be back, in case danger arises. I sometimes drift a bit in life, but I also am able to maintain my social responsibilities and ties to other people. McCandless glorified freedom, which is a nice thing to have, but I think he died before he really matured. Maybe if he had lived longer, he would have become a wiser person. He was clearly resourceful and strong willed. I think it's a shame that the extremes of his positive qualities weren't balanced out by more common sense.
Admirable qualities + flaws = homosapien. 😊
Dr. Grande can you analyse the manipulation tactics of advertising and breakdown the psychological effects they could have on people?
Ooooh now that’s interesting!
I would love to see this complex topic explored on this channel as well!
Good idea! I’d love to see something on that topic as well!
Great idea!
YES. Please?
I'm really impressed at your turnaround time from request to release. And how you listen to your viewers. Kudos doc.
This is a very kind appraisal of a case I've read about for years .
Thank you for your tenderheartedness.
I remember reading the book in high school, I cried like a baby at the end, it was so incredibly heartbreaking.
Listening to Dr. G makes me smarter. Love this quality content.
Me too ✌️💙
Amen!!!
Likewise. I have learned and benefited by viewing his content for close 6 months.
I read this book a few years ago and then watched the movie. This was a sad story, it seems he was very depressed. He also hated his family and wanted to get away. I think because a very famous writer chose to write his story, he got legendary status.I think the narcissism you mention is interesting, he did seem to think he was smarter than everyone.
This is what I don't understand; yes, you hate your family. A family friend gave you a bit of cash. Take it and your degree and do this crazy thing called: set up a life for yourself. Don't go consign yourself to a horrible death. Poor bastard.
DR. GRANDE IS LITERALLY DELIVERING THE BEST CONTENT. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! YOU BRING ME SO MUCH JOY
YES! This was a super highly anticipated analysis, and I am so glad that you did it. It was just as fascinating as I thought it would be.
Thank you for this analysis,
Dr. Grande. I agree, Chris McCandless appeals to the free spirit in us all. His is such a poignant story of a young man who was well-intended yet not well prepared.
*Enjoying the new plants! ☺🍀
I agree very much with your statements about the impact of his legacy - it is a sad truth that so many people idolize McCandless and have put themselves at risk in so doing.
Dr. Grande, your pace is relentless and , as everybody knows, your content and analyses just keep getting better and better. Much respect always, sir. Thanks!
Spiritual types never seem to properly acknowledge the risks of reality.
and realist types are boring globs of meat goo that suck the fun out of experience
"The old picture Satan is chasing you trick" 😂🔥
Travis Walton could be an interesting profile to do , the guy who claimed to have been abducted by aliens and was the subject of the 1993 Fire In The Sky movie; recently on JRE
@@alwaysflushinpublic Perhaps not the best idea to publish one's life on the internet for everyone to want to opine on. I think it may be better to stay quiet, humble, neutral and to keep speculating instead of diagnosing to continue growing a good channel.
I am here for my daily Dr. Grande fix. Excellent analysis! Thank you sir. Blessings!🙏🏽🍀
I've honestly been avoiding other analyses about this case until I heard yours, thank you!
I watched the film and thought it was like an Aesop’s fable about pride.
Pride mixed with naivete I would say.
Fits right next to "Grizzly Man." That one made me cry.
Dr. Grande, can you please do a personality analysis of Rod Sterling, the famed host and producer of Twilight Zone? Thanks.
Good suggestion.
Would love to see this
I'm so happy you picked this suggestion Dr. Grande!
I subbed to Dr. Grande's patron. Best choice ever. You get to see extra content as well as a smiley Doc. Love the content!
The Grande Podcast when? I think we need it
I second this
Agreed
Word
I couldn't find it on Sticher.
Oh my god why is this literally- PLEASE
McCandless was really naive. If he'd read any Jack London novels he would have known what he was planning was a really bad idea. It gets cold in Alaska!
Naive.
I have needed this one! I had been looking at all of the old content to see if you had already covered him.
This is the video that I asked for! Thank you Dr. Grande! Keep it up!
@Frost What is it that you find interesting about the psychology of Steve Jobs?
Oops I'm one of the alaskans that think he made a huge mistake, the bus ended up being a major tourist attraction stranding a lot of people on the way. Bus has been removed and put into a museum. Thanks for covering this I knew you would
Moving the plants again :-)
I live on an island and a young fellow came sailing in on a tiny catamaran with no water or food - he had just had an adventure to the outer reefs. He was very relieved to be safely back here - hungry and thirsty - he had wanted to go and live wild off the sea - when he told me his name, I replied "I know what your name is - "Alexander Supertramp". He knew exactly what I was saying. There are a lot of Alexander Supertramps out there - I'm not surprised some don't make it - I'm just surprised that so many do survive. They are full of life and adventure and real characters and they get away from the screens and have a go.
I loved the movie. I would think tho, that maybe the electrician could have checked on him and informed other people about him. Very sad, even wonder if he had a mild mental disability. (?)
Very intetesting, Dr. Grande. I had read and seen the book and movie, but your video is a good complement to see McCandless from different perspectives. Thanx!!!
Doc- topics and individuals are getting AWESOME!
Idealism. Possibly, idealism to the detriment of common sense, but the...”whatever” it takes, to live your life completely on your own terms, doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to me.
👍🏿
Freedom mixed with idealism requires responsibility, otherwise it can be a dangerous mix.
@@southerndiscomfort2412 nailed it. You see this general rejection of the importance of hard work and preparation in so much of the self help motivational material that's popular today. So many young guys think that working an average 9-5 is simply the product of a mentality or lack thereof. As if they can simply break free with their will alone. Skills, planning, saving money, nahh screw that. It's all about believing and conceiving etc.
lots of people are idealistic but practical.
@@southerndiscomfort2412 amen
This case has always fascinated me. Thank you, Dr. Grande! i would love to see you cover Joshua Powell/the case of the Powell family.
I recently found your channel and I really love it. I am a therapist and love these types of videos
Thank you Dr. Grande! Interesting analysis! I love all of your analyses. I'm learning so much by watching your videos. I always thought that I had a good "feel" about people but just went by the "vibe" I felt. When I listen to you explain the many speculations, I learn so much!
I feel so sorry for Chris, he must have been so confused. He didn't have a very good start in life because of his childhood. Sounds like he was smart enough but not well prepared, skilled nor aware of what could happen in the wild. He must have become withdrawn and wanted peace, beauty and quietness. It must have been like wanting to be in heaven? He was a dreamer. He wanted to challenge himself, like he was self discipling. I never saw the movie nor read the book will be looking for it though. My heart goes out to him for his longing in life! Sad and touching.
I think that this story should be taken as a cautionary tale in taking risks. I’m not saying to not go into the wilderness but follow the scouts motto “Be prepared “. Bring a map, a first aid kit and a sack of granola bars at least
Also, Dr. Grande, can you analyze the Christian missionary guy that tried to bring religion to that small Sentinelese island and was killed in the process? I’ll go look up his name.
His name was John Allen Chau
Excellent suggestion
Yes, this would be a fascinating one!
Dr. G has done the analysis of John Allen Chau. Watched that video right before this one.
@@sheilacooke1543 same
Haven't watched for a bit and now I found you have a fresh new background that's very nice! I like your analysis on Mac candless. Such a sad story 😢
I adore your channel but these days I'm having even more fun watching the array of plants behind you change with each upload! I've read Into the Wild and his sister's book The Wild Truth, several times. Tragic upbringing and tragic ending for Chris Mccandless. Sad all around 🙁
Omg, I just watched this movie for the first time 3 weeks ago and couldn't stop thinking about Chris. I have done some research and was actually watching it again when I got the notification! 😲
@@spiritmatter1553, yeah, I was at the point in the movie when his mom wakes up from a nightmare where he was calling out for her. It freaked me out.😳
Todd, always loved your videos. Keep up the great content!
The analysis I didn’t know I needed! Amazing insights as always Dr. Grande ✨
Been waiting for this one!💙Dr Grande I love your subtle shade!😅
It almost seems like Chris was running away from something, someone, willing to take on any risks that came his way feeling whatever the risks might be, it was better than where he began his journey. He felt he had the strength to handle each as it came. I don’t believe he wanted to die, after all he did try to hike out of the wilderness when he realized how serious his situation had become. If he wanted to die, wouldn’t he have just stayed at the bus the entire time? Also there was the note asking for help, asking that whoever read the note to not just pass on by. The note wasn’t a suicide note nor did it read like someone who wanted to die. It was the opposite actually, it read like someone who very much wanted to survive.
It would have been interesting if he had made it out or been rescued in time to see what he would have done next. After nearly starving to death, would he have found a bit of appreciation for the material things in life like money to buy warm clothes and food? Would he have gotten over a reckless lifestyle to live one more goal oriented and safer. Or did he want to get out of the inhospitable wilderness so he could gather up proper supplies to return yet again to his bus?
We will never know what he realized, what he learned, in his last weeks of life. Maybe he was able to forgive his parents especially his father. Living with an alcoholic parent can prevent a child from having a firm foundation on which to build his life. This certainly seems to apply to Chris. I hope he found peace finally getting away from the demons from which he was fleeing. I hope he was able to forgive himself for in essence wasting the gifts he had, mentally and physically, and the life he was given. In the end I hope he found what he was seeking spiritually. If only he had made it to the cabin...he was just 6 miles short of having continued life...knowing that makes his story even more painfully sad.
Thanks Dr Grande.
If anyone has not seen “Into the wild” (Chris McCandless’ story) this movie and his story by Jon Kracaur and Carine McCandless is pretty amazing. I think he was a bit arrogant and a dreamer but he did something not a lot of people ever have the courage to do. He had no kids, no responsibilities so if that’s what he felt had to do, I’m sure he knew death was possible. To be so charitable and so bold is admirable. The self control, maturity and forgiveness may have come with time since was only in his early 20’s. For those of us with an explorer soul, sometimes you just have to take the journey. 🧭🗺
top comment
It was essentially a self aggrandizing form of suicide in his case though. He didn't possess any of the skills necessary to take those risks. He did no legitimate preparation. It was basically an adult version of a child running away from home with a stick and handkerchief knapsack. Thinking no further than the apples and loaf of bread he took with him.
I think he should be a cautionary tale for people with the spirit you are describing. The true explorers aren't JUST the product that mentality. You are either REALLY about that life or not. If you're not don't kid yourself. You aren't doing anything but killing yourself in an unnecessarily long way.
Shame it ended up being one of the world's longest, stupidest suicides.
@@thedorkone1516 beat the record?
Thanks for covering this one. Your perspective is an original one.
This was so well explored. You make so many great points and ask important questions.
What other CZcams listens to his fans and makes a video that was requested the very next day!? Dr. Grande you are the BEST💙🔥
Between the “picture satan chasing you” and the comparison to Mr. Magoo - I can’t stop laughing.
Yay! I requested this. But I was hoping more analysis of his parents and how they may have shaped his outlook.
Good afternoon Dr Grande. Great analysis. Great topic, but also tragic. Thank you Dr Grande have a great day!