“Deep Survival” in a World Without Saber Tooth Tigers
In the bestselling book, Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, author Laurence Gonzales explores the psychology and biology that goes into the complex equation of why some people survive and some do not when faced with a deep survival situation.
The author contends that most people, estimated as high as 90%, will freeze or panic when faced with a deep survival situation. This reaction, as you can imagine, ultimately seals their fate.
Unless they are able to overcome the amygdala hijack and reengage their prefrontal cortex (thinking brain), they are doomed. The author explores what the other 10% do that ultimately helps them successfully navigate the obstacle and ultimately survive.
The book is filled with fascinating real life survival stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. That alone is worth your time.
Survival is the celebration of choosing life over death. We know we’re going to die. We all die. But survival is saying: perhaps not today. In that sense, survivors don’t defeat death, they come to terms with it.
Although, you might correctly state, I am not an adventure seeker or extreme athlete. I don’t put myself into life-or-death situations, why should I read this book? Here’s why.
Our minds are programmed to interpret “threats” in the modern world much like it did many thousands of years ago. For example, how many of us look at public speaking as a ‘Saber tooth tiger’ licking its chops getting ready to devour us?
Of course, many of us do, as studies have indicated that at the top of our list of fears is a fear of public speaking, not a Saber tooth tiger. Public speaking is, sitting right ahead of, you guessed it — dying.
Thats not to say people would rather die than speak in front of a group, that would be silly. It just means public speaking is a fear that many of us can identify with.
Why do I bring this up? Because when we encounter a fear as powerful as this in the modern world, we will exhibit the same tendencies and reactions that someone who is faced with a life-or-death situation does.
The author states that survivors have a unique capability to actually embrace fear and use it to their advantage.
We misinterpret the upcoming speech or presentation as life-or-death and this in turn will trigger a shutdown of our ‘thinking’ brain. Learning how and why this happens, being aware of triggers, and recognizing its onset are vital tools to prevent the amygdala hijack from reducing us to bumbling idiots. Bottom line, this is a key skill-set for all of us to possess to achieve excellence.
The author states that survivors have a unique capability to actually embrace fear and use it to their advantage. They realize it is a normal response and trying to avoid it is actually detrimental. What they do, is not allow it to take over, they harness its power.
Survivors are successful at keeping their thinking brain engaged and on task. They do this by utilizing these tools,
- Maintaining a sense of humor. Making light of the situation is almost universal with those that survive. The simple act of smiling can actually give us a positive energy boost.
- Keeping the situation in the proper perspective (its usually not as bad as imagined). Of course, in a life or death situation, it is as bad as imagined. Rarely, however, do we face life or death in the board room. Will it matter in 5 years?
- Relying on training and experience. The idea that some of us have a gift to rise to the occasion is a myth. There is no statistical evidence to support this. In reality, what we tend to do is fall to the level of our training and preparation.
- Stoicism. From wikipedia, “Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions.” It would make sense that this kind of attitude in a high stress environment would be of great benefit to our success.
I think you would agree these are skills that all of us can learn and use with many of the day-to-day challenges we face in our life. Give this book a read, you’ll not regret it! Learn to perform at your best when the stakes are high.
About the Author:
Ron Duren is the Business Wingman. He is a Certified FocalPoint Business and Leadership coach and adjunct Professor of Leadership and Management at the University of Colorado. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP), graduate of Seth Godin’s altMBA program and holds a Masters Degree in Engineering Management. He is a former semi-professional baseball player and rodeo cowboy. Ron built and flies his award winning aerobatic airplane as much as he can. Subscribe to his newsletter for pragmatic business and leadership articles delivered monthly.
