Who Is Chris Mccandless Selfish

Chris McCandless was an American-born adventurer born in 1968 who gained widespread recognition and fame for his journey of freedom and self-discovery that ended in tragedy. McCandless, under the alias “Alexander Supertramp,” hitchhiked throughout the USA from state to state with the ultimate goal of living in the hard Alaskan wilderness. When Chris finally made it to his final destination, he was not prepared for the demanding and dangerous conditions that come with the Alaskan wilderness and tragically passed away in an abandoned bus in 1992. While some may view this story as a man who simply followed his passion and pursued happiness at the expense of only himself, the reality of the situation is that he exhibited many egocentric and haughty

When Chris first began his journey, deciding to leave everything behind, he failed his moral responsibility to at the very least communicate with his parents and family. He left without calling, writing, or talking to his parents about his plans or whereabouts. It is not difficult to picture how stressful and worrying it is to have an immediate family member disappear with no contact at all. This left his parents and siblings with a constant mix of stress, grief, and worry. His siblings felt a feeling of loss and abandonment while his parents were especially affected as they blamed themselves for not being able to understand Chris and this took a toll on their emotional well-being. All of these feelings could have been avoided if Chris simply communicated with his family about his plans and where he was going to be, and the lack of consideration for his family just goes to show how selfish he truly was, and it is evident from Chris writing, “I’m going to divorce them as my parents and never speak to either of those idiots again as long as I live.” (McCandless, 64). This quote once again shows the self-centred actions of Chris and how he once again failed to consider the repercussions of his selfish

Because it puts one’s desires ahead of others' needs and concerns, disregard for personal safety is selfish. Blinded by his delusional and arrogant goal of surviving in the Alaskan wilderness, Chris did not put nearly enough effort into properly preparing for the harsh conditions. He failed to research the proper gear and equipment needed to survive, along with overestimating his survival skills. Chris brought minimal food, a weak rifle that could only kill smaller animals, and insufficient boots for the Alaskan conditions. This is evident from John Krakauer writing, “His gear seemed exceedingly minimal for the harsh conditions of the interior,” which is one of the main factors of why he struggled so much in the wilderness. Chris also failed to seek guidance or help from more experienced adventurers who could have offered him life-saving knowledge and referred him to better gear. This behaviour sheds light on how his arrogance got in the way of his personal safety, ultimately leading to his death. His death only caused more pain and grief for his family and it is directly due to his lack of consideration for both his own self safety and his family’s emotional