I posted something recently while in my usual late night stupor, about rolls, rescues and trips being dependent on positive thinking. I know that incorrectly applied, positive thinking can also get you into a lot of trouble. Hal Christiansen recently mentioned something about mountain climbers getting into trouble due to their arrogance, or some such thing. I rented a movie this weekend to help illustrated in my mind, and reinforce Hal's notion. I've read the book a while back "Into Thin Air", but the Hollywood version available now out on video leaves a real deep impression as it plays out on the screen. The absolute stupidity of the "I'm invincible" attitude, and the "Conquer nature" philosophy, as well as contributory factors like ignoring "Red Flags" are all vividly portrayed in the movie version. Recommended viewing. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd (who loves bouncing ideas off this list) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>> Hal Christiansen recently mentioned something about mountain climbers getting into trouble due to their arrogance, or some such thing. I rented a movie this weekend to help illustrated in my mind, and reinforce Hal's notion. I've read the book a while back "Into Thin Air", but the Hollywood version available now out on video leaves a real deep impression as it plays out on the screen. The absolute stupidity of the "I'm invincible" attitude, and the "Conquer nature" philosophy, as well as contributory factors like ignoring "Red Flags" are all vividly portrayed in the movie version. Recommended viewing. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd (who loves bouncing ideas off this list) >> I read _Into Thin Air_ (and saw the TV movie, which was very good, indeed) about the same time I read _Deep Trouble_, and for a while contemplated reviewing the two books side by side for a club publication. (Never found the time, though.) There are lessons in hubris and risk-taking to be learned from both books. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I don't think it is hair-splitting to say that there is a marked difference between arrogance and determination (and its sister trait, a positive mental attitude). When I read what Doug wrote earlier, and from what I know of him, Doug is all determination and positive attitude and in no way arrogant. So, I would like to underline what Doug was saying and how it applies to paddling and dealing with jams you may get in inadvertently or through lack of foresight. Determination works in so many paddling situations. Take paddling into wind. So many people give up if the winds are excessive and they get no where or wind up dumping. Funny thing about paddling into wind. If you put just x effort into it, you will be stymied and be at a stand still. But if you get angry at the wind, take it personally, and let the adrenalin kick in to put in a x plus a little y effort, and, voila, you will start making a lot of progress. It is almost miraculous. That little y effort on top of the x effort suddenly starts moving you along at quite a bit of speed whereas moments earlier you were standing still or blowing backwards. It seems you break through a barrier and are freed up quite a bit. Same with getting back into your boat after a spill, which I think was something Doug brought up earlier. If you are not determined or positive about it, you will likely fail no matter what skills you have and helpful gear like paddle floats, proper deck strap hold downs and the like. Perhaps motivate yourself in some way by a preternatural fear; say to yourself that there is a crocodile in the water or the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I assure you that you will literally pop out of the water if that image spikes your level of determination to egress the briney fast. In a more mild situation, I use determination all the time. It is in making field fixes or modification when back home. Folding kayakers are forever modifying their boats. It is within the nature of assembly and disassembly which gets you so close to the workings of one and fosters a flair for creativity and innovation. But you have to be determined to reach a solution and not give up. One of my first ones was in putting a rudder on my double Klepper. A long story but basically I was forbidden from using a rudder when I bought the thing; the dealer said learn paddling without one first. Weeks later I picked up the rudder on a way to a camping trip. When I tried to put it on, the pin that holds the rudder to its bracket would not fit (a factory flawed batch of pins). But I did not just give up and say "Jeez, it won't work, what am I going to do?". I thought a bit and looked around for something that might work. Hmmm, I am camping. What do you have on camping trips? Tent stakes. One fit perfectly into the bracket. If you are determined and have a positive attitude, a really positive one, you can work your way through just about any adversity or problem on the water and off it. If there is any lesson here it is not to be determined to get yourself into trouble (i.e. arrogant), but if in trouble be determined to get yourself out of it. ralph diaz Chuck Holst wrote: > > >> > Hal Christiansen recently mentioned something about mountain > climbers getting into trouble due to their arrogance, or some such > thing. I rented a movie this weekend to help illustrated in my mind, and > reinforce Hal's notion. I've read the book a while back "Into Thin Air", > but the Hollywood version available now out on video leaves a real deep > impression as it plays out on the screen. The absolute stupidity of > the "I'm invincible" attitude, and the "Conquer nature" philosophy, as > well as contributory factors like ignoring "Red Flags" are all vividly > portrayed in the movie version. Recommended viewing. > > BC'in Ya > Doug Lloyd (who loves bouncing ideas off this list) > >> > > I read _Into Thin Air_ (and saw the TV movie, which was very good, indeed) > about the same time I read _Deep Trouble_, and for a while contemplated > reviewing the two books side by side for a club publication. (Never found > the time, though.) There are lessons in hubris and risk-taking to be > learned from both books. > > Chuck Holst > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In case it matters to anyone........ I was actually discussing advanced, or technical, SCUBA diving. Caves, Mixed Gases, Wreck Penetrations, etc. In SCUBA diving my companions and I follow a STRICT RULE. ANY diver can call (i.e. cancel) a dive at ANY time for ANY reason, mid-dive or not! NO QUESTIONS are asked until well after the fact when it is a discussion for future reference. When faced with a "new, or potentially hairy" situation we will often intentional have the most reserved team member go LOOK first. If they display uncertainty we don't LEAP. Rather we discuss and modify, or abort, the plan as appropriate. Either way the concept is the same. Although I suppose I was talking more about risk assessment than anything else. Sometimes, the only real safe place is somewhere else......... I firmly believe in positive mental attitude. Like Ralph Diaz stated: If there is any lesson here it is not to be determined to get yourself into trouble (i.e. arrogant), but if in trouble be determined to get yourself out of it. Hal -----Original Message----- From: Doug Lloyd [SMTP:dlloyd_at_telus.net] Sent: den 6 juni 2000 07:56 To: PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subject: [Paddlewise] Positive Mental Attitude I posted something recently while in my usual late night stupor, about rolls, rescues and trips being dependent on positive thinking. I know that incorrectly applied, positive thinking can also get you into a lot of trouble. Hal Christiansen recently mentioned something about mountain climbers getting into trouble due to their arrogance, or some such thing. I rented a movie this weekend to help illustrated in my mind, and reinforce Hal's notion. I've read the book a while back "Into Thin Air", but the Hollywood version available now out on video leaves a real deep impression as it plays out on the screen. The absolute stupidity of the "I'm invincible" attitude, and the "Conquer nature" philosophy, as well as contributory factors like ignoring "Red Flags" are all vividly portrayed in the movie version. Recommended viewing. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd (who loves bouncing ideas off this list) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ************************************************************************ *** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:14 PDT