Warning Signs: Ignore at Your Peril
We're experienced hikers. We research trails before setting out, pack sufficient food and water, and try to set out early in the day. We usually listen to the weather report as well. We're very knowledgeable, right?
Knowledge doesn't help unless it leads to action.
That's what I learned on our last hike.
We set out a little later than usual because we had not prepared our packs the night before. No worry. We were going to a trail that was close by. The sun was shining and, although somewhat humid and thunderstorms were predicted later in the day, we had full confidence in our ability to beat the odds and return home well before the storm.
We reached the summit in good time and relaxed at the top, enjoying the 360 degree view. It was fairly hazy in the distance and we promised ourselves to return on a clear autumn day. Then we started the downhill trek.
We walked along, feeling good about our achievement, unworried that we had somehow taken a different trail than the one by which we had ascended. This one was more difficult and involved scrambling down the rocks instead of circumventing them. It was rough going and I was getting anxious: I heard thunder in the distance.
"Let's get down any which way," I exclaimed. "Hurry, before the storm hits!"
We managed to reach the bottom and found the correct trail once again. By this time the clouds had overtaken the sun, the sound of thunder was growing and the wind had picked up. We picked up our pace, trying to keep ourselves from slipping on the loose rock.
It didn't help. We got soaked. Despite the weather report, we had left our slickers behind. We also did not have any emergency first aid, which worried me more.
Suddenly, the lightning flashed so close by and thunder clapped so loudly that I screamed. I put my hands to my ears and trudged forward, not daring to think of the danger of trees falling in the storm. All I could do was focus on the trail and pray that we'd reach the end without any mishap.
We did so, fully drenched and feeling ashamed that we had ignored all the resources at our disposal: the weather report, guidelines for hikers and our own common sense.
Why does one ignore the warning signs, deny the evidence and assume that all will be well? Why do we keep going and pretend that we'll somehow escape the consequences of our own irrational behaviors?
Denial is a powerful mechanism. It protects us from the shock of tragedy. But when it's used to avoid reality it can be deadly.
Don't get caught in the storm. Examine your life and determine if you're on the right path. It's so easy to get lost.
Knowledge doesn't help unless it leads to action.
That's what I learned on our last hike.
We set out a little later than usual because we had not prepared our packs the night before. No worry. We were going to a trail that was close by. The sun was shining and, although somewhat humid and thunderstorms were predicted later in the day, we had full confidence in our ability to beat the odds and return home well before the storm.
We reached the summit in good time and relaxed at the top, enjoying the 360 degree view. It was fairly hazy in the distance and we promised ourselves to return on a clear autumn day. Then we started the downhill trek.
We walked along, feeling good about our achievement, unworried that we had somehow taken a different trail than the one by which we had ascended. This one was more difficult and involved scrambling down the rocks instead of circumventing them. It was rough going and I was getting anxious: I heard thunder in the distance.
"Let's get down any which way," I exclaimed. "Hurry, before the storm hits!"
We managed to reach the bottom and found the correct trail once again. By this time the clouds had overtaken the sun, the sound of thunder was growing and the wind had picked up. We picked up our pace, trying to keep ourselves from slipping on the loose rock.
It didn't help. We got soaked. Despite the weather report, we had left our slickers behind. We also did not have any emergency first aid, which worried me more.
Suddenly, the lightning flashed so close by and thunder clapped so loudly that I screamed. I put my hands to my ears and trudged forward, not daring to think of the danger of trees falling in the storm. All I could do was focus on the trail and pray that we'd reach the end without any mishap.
We did so, fully drenched and feeling ashamed that we had ignored all the resources at our disposal: the weather report, guidelines for hikers and our own common sense.
Why does one ignore the warning signs, deny the evidence and assume that all will be well? Why do we keep going and pretend that we'll somehow escape the consequences of our own irrational behaviors?
Denial is a powerful mechanism. It protects us from the shock of tragedy. But when it's used to avoid reality it can be deadly.
Don't get caught in the storm. Examine your life and determine if you're on the right path. It's so easy to get lost.
posted by Dr. Spiegel at
5:45 PM
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