Ugh, this movie is one of my top five favorite movies of all time. I watched it for the first time, maybe in early high school, and cried and felt irrevocably changed. Then I bought it on DVD so I could watch it again. It would take a few years before I would grab and read the book. Which also made me cry and feel changed in a way. As someone who struggled with their own mental health, I felt like I could understand part of McCandless' struggles. He felt like he didn't belong in the life he was placed in and needed to leave and go explore. Then he found Ron and while to us it was a chance of love and redemption, he wasn't ready for it. He didn't think he was worthy of that kind of love, even though to us that seemed silly. So he turned it down to continue his journey. When he was out in the wilderness and he realized that he was alone and that he messed up, it was then he understood that he was only really happy when he could share in that happiness with others; not when he was by himself in the bus. It is such a sad and heartbreaking story and I love it all the same. What a lovely piece you've written.
Thanks Makeila, I'm glad it struck a chord! I hadn't considered the film from the pov of Chris having mental health struggles, but of course you're right that he was acting from a place of high emotions and a reaction to the damage within his own family.
It's still one of the most beautiful cautionary tales I've ever come across, which is why I count it as an important touchstone. Let us always remember that happiness is only real when shared.
I taught Into the Wild when I was a high school English teacher. It’s such a heartbreaking story, but it’s also very profound. I remember telling my students that that phrase McCandless wrote was one of the main takeaways from the book. On a recent trip of Switzerland, I started thinking about the need to share experiences, so I wrote a piece about it. Seeing this post made me realize I may have internalized McCandless’s thesis without even realizing it. Then again, it’s probaby because it’s a natural human inclination—to share stories, experiences, and, effectively, our lives with others.
Thanks for reading and your comment. Yes it was a high school English teacher who introduced me to the film, which is quite novelistic in approach.
And I'm the same - 'happiness is only real when shared' has become something of a mantra. We need to share our joyful and meaningful experiences for them to have any lasting meaning. Which means we need to invest the time and attention in people.
We live in an age of far too much so-called self-improvement and far too little mutual love.
What a well-written analysis! I relate to a lot of what you said, where, when I first watched this film, I admired Chris outright for his courage in leaving behind a backwards society. As I got older and subsequently rewatched the film on repeat, I came to feel more of an uncomfortable caution: "hey buddy, can we try some temperance please?" As you put it best, he became so blinded by his singular quest that he missed out in a huge element to human happiness, which is connectiveness.
Alllllllllll that said, it makes me think of my 3 month long Appalachian Trail hike. I started out alone (not for any particularly noble reasons) but gradually met more and more hikers who traveled with me. At one point, there were like 9 of us..which was simply too many.
Then it dropped down to 3. Then at one point, just myself and one other person (who is now my partner). We would sometimes look at each other and debate the various pros vs cons of hiking alone vs with others: "sometimes when I hike alone, I wish I had someone to share this with. And sometimes when I'm hiking with others, I really want alone time! It's nice to have a hiking routine totally independent of anyone else's plans. Even pee breaks are simpler!"
Anyway, thanks for this piece. It's a thought inducer for sure.
Such great insights coming from lived experience. I hesitated to take a strong position on the importance of sharing happiness vs enjoying solitude, but in our current age, I do see the temptation to strike out alone and forgo human relationships as more dangerous.
Your own experience on the AT is case in point - while too many people can be difficult to manage, having at least one other person you love and respect to experience life with is vital to experiencing true happiness.
I personally don't mind being on my own for stretches of time, but I think the current discourse of labelling people as 'introverts' and 'extroverts' is reductive and unhelpful. We all need to learn to be happy on our own and with other people. And to see the value of sharing our life with others.
Oh, I certainly agree. (And I'm here all day long for strong positions!) Also I love how you dislike the extrovert / introvert labeling....my mindset is "who cares?"
I think the ability for both/and (being happy alone and with others) is almost an art. I either meet people who struggle to be alone (and as a result are always glomming onto unhealthy romantic relationships) or people who preach about how "nice" it would be to run away to a cabin in the woods to never have to "people" again.
Perhaps melodramatic or perhaps they're being ironic and I'm simply not picking up on it..
We are definitely on the wavelength. I find all attempts to pigeon-hole our personalities into 'types' to be both boring and limiting. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why not believe that I can learn and grow to see value in multiple aspects of life, in varied ways of being?
Yes, this definitely isn't me advocating for using relationships as a substitute for your own happiness, but more that I am anti the rejection of society and pro the necessity of friendship and brotherly/sisterly love.
I would guess that most are being dramatic and would miss contact with people, but maybe only if they had no access to social media. Our phones allow us to artificially fill the need for human relationships, even if it's a shadowy and more hollow version.
Yes, self fulfilling prophecy is a good way to put it. But that opens quite a can of worms with ANY labels. And yeah, phones are...such a weird dichotomy of great technology/tool, and also a crappy facsimile of human connection. (I say that, but even still don't believe it -fully-; my phone is after all, allowing me to connect to folks like you on substack!)
If a monk spends 40 solitary nights in a cave, he can become enlightened. A story old as monkhood. Questions.
Is enlightenment simply waiting for those who shun society to spend days; months alone?
Or is enlightenment granted to those who have gone without company long enough to realize enlightenment IS the sound of a loved one’s laughter?
Without absence, can one know the meaning of presence?
I argue that solo wanders are more important than shared. Without perspective, shared moments are a facade lacking depth. An injustice to companionship. Depth comes from knowing - real knowing - of how lucky we are to share those moments at all.
Great writing, I enjoyed your description of the hollow “clang” of Ron’s refuted love. Heart-aching prose. The stuff I love Substack for. Keep it up :)
All fair points Kevin - and thanks for reading and engaging!
My counterpoint would be that our post-modern era is dramatically different from centuries past, and we don't have a lack of solitude but a lack of meaningful relationships. Short periods alone where you come face to face with the divine and confront the realities of your own soul are important (call this the vertical) but it can only be lived out and implemented in a meaningful and tangible way with other people, be they family or friends or wider communities (call this the horizontal).
Yes, exactly!! I was rash to say the vertical is “more important”.
I often comment with my climbing partners that climbing itself is not important. What is important is taking the lessons learned in the vertical (about self, partnership, mortality), and applying them to our relationships in the valley.
I love your analogy. To run with it further, the vertically would ring hollow without the horizontal and vice versa. Imagine an Etch-a-Sketch with only one knob…
Ah yes exactly. I'd be keen to read more of your climbing adventures!
And yes the other image that works well for this is the cross - the vertical is absolutely necessary, otherwise the horizontal is just a piece of wood lying on the ground, but once you have the vertical, the horizontal adds depth and breadth.
Ugh, this movie is one of my top five favorite movies of all time. I watched it for the first time, maybe in early high school, and cried and felt irrevocably changed. Then I bought it on DVD so I could watch it again. It would take a few years before I would grab and read the book. Which also made me cry and feel changed in a way. As someone who struggled with their own mental health, I felt like I could understand part of McCandless' struggles. He felt like he didn't belong in the life he was placed in and needed to leave and go explore. Then he found Ron and while to us it was a chance of love and redemption, he wasn't ready for it. He didn't think he was worthy of that kind of love, even though to us that seemed silly. So he turned it down to continue his journey. When he was out in the wilderness and he realized that he was alone and that he messed up, it was then he understood that he was only really happy when he could share in that happiness with others; not when he was by himself in the bus. It is such a sad and heartbreaking story and I love it all the same. What a lovely piece you've written.
Thanks Makeila, I'm glad it struck a chord! I hadn't considered the film from the pov of Chris having mental health struggles, but of course you're right that he was acting from a place of high emotions and a reaction to the damage within his own family.
It's still one of the most beautiful cautionary tales I've ever come across, which is why I count it as an important touchstone. Let us always remember that happiness is only real when shared.
I taught Into the Wild when I was a high school English teacher. It’s such a heartbreaking story, but it’s also very profound. I remember telling my students that that phrase McCandless wrote was one of the main takeaways from the book. On a recent trip of Switzerland, I started thinking about the need to share experiences, so I wrote a piece about it. Seeing this post made me realize I may have internalized McCandless’s thesis without even realizing it. Then again, it’s probaby because it’s a natural human inclination—to share stories, experiences, and, effectively, our lives with others.
Thanks for reading and your comment. Yes it was a high school English teacher who introduced me to the film, which is quite novelistic in approach.
And I'm the same - 'happiness is only real when shared' has become something of a mantra. We need to share our joyful and meaningful experiences for them to have any lasting meaning. Which means we need to invest the time and attention in people.
We live in an age of far too much so-called self-improvement and far too little mutual love.
What a well-written analysis! I relate to a lot of what you said, where, when I first watched this film, I admired Chris outright for his courage in leaving behind a backwards society. As I got older and subsequently rewatched the film on repeat, I came to feel more of an uncomfortable caution: "hey buddy, can we try some temperance please?" As you put it best, he became so blinded by his singular quest that he missed out in a huge element to human happiness, which is connectiveness.
Alllllllllll that said, it makes me think of my 3 month long Appalachian Trail hike. I started out alone (not for any particularly noble reasons) but gradually met more and more hikers who traveled with me. At one point, there were like 9 of us..which was simply too many.
Then it dropped down to 3. Then at one point, just myself and one other person (who is now my partner). We would sometimes look at each other and debate the various pros vs cons of hiking alone vs with others: "sometimes when I hike alone, I wish I had someone to share this with. And sometimes when I'm hiking with others, I really want alone time! It's nice to have a hiking routine totally independent of anyone else's plans. Even pee breaks are simpler!"
Anyway, thanks for this piece. It's a thought inducer for sure.
Such great insights coming from lived experience. I hesitated to take a strong position on the importance of sharing happiness vs enjoying solitude, but in our current age, I do see the temptation to strike out alone and forgo human relationships as more dangerous.
Your own experience on the AT is case in point - while too many people can be difficult to manage, having at least one other person you love and respect to experience life with is vital to experiencing true happiness.
I personally don't mind being on my own for stretches of time, but I think the current discourse of labelling people as 'introverts' and 'extroverts' is reductive and unhelpful. We all need to learn to be happy on our own and with other people. And to see the value of sharing our life with others.
Oh, I certainly agree. (And I'm here all day long for strong positions!) Also I love how you dislike the extrovert / introvert labeling....my mindset is "who cares?"
I think the ability for both/and (being happy alone and with others) is almost an art. I either meet people who struggle to be alone (and as a result are always glomming onto unhealthy romantic relationships) or people who preach about how "nice" it would be to run away to a cabin in the woods to never have to "people" again.
Perhaps melodramatic or perhaps they're being ironic and I'm simply not picking up on it..
We are definitely on the wavelength. I find all attempts to pigeon-hole our personalities into 'types' to be both boring and limiting. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why not believe that I can learn and grow to see value in multiple aspects of life, in varied ways of being?
Yes, this definitely isn't me advocating for using relationships as a substitute for your own happiness, but more that I am anti the rejection of society and pro the necessity of friendship and brotherly/sisterly love.
I would guess that most are being dramatic and would miss contact with people, but maybe only if they had no access to social media. Our phones allow us to artificially fill the need for human relationships, even if it's a shadowy and more hollow version.
Yes, self fulfilling prophecy is a good way to put it. But that opens quite a can of worms with ANY labels. And yeah, phones are...such a weird dichotomy of great technology/tool, and also a crappy facsimile of human connection. (I say that, but even still don't believe it -fully-; my phone is after all, allowing me to connect to folks like you on substack!)
If a monk spends 40 solitary nights in a cave, he can become enlightened. A story old as monkhood. Questions.
Is enlightenment simply waiting for those who shun society to spend days; months alone?
Or is enlightenment granted to those who have gone without company long enough to realize enlightenment IS the sound of a loved one’s laughter?
Without absence, can one know the meaning of presence?
I argue that solo wanders are more important than shared. Without perspective, shared moments are a facade lacking depth. An injustice to companionship. Depth comes from knowing - real knowing - of how lucky we are to share those moments at all.
Great writing, I enjoyed your description of the hollow “clang” of Ron’s refuted love. Heart-aching prose. The stuff I love Substack for. Keep it up :)
All fair points Kevin - and thanks for reading and engaging!
My counterpoint would be that our post-modern era is dramatically different from centuries past, and we don't have a lack of solitude but a lack of meaningful relationships. Short periods alone where you come face to face with the divine and confront the realities of your own soul are important (call this the vertical) but it can only be lived out and implemented in a meaningful and tangible way with other people, be they family or friends or wider communities (call this the horizontal).
What do you think?
Yes, exactly!! I was rash to say the vertical is “more important”.
I often comment with my climbing partners that climbing itself is not important. What is important is taking the lessons learned in the vertical (about self, partnership, mortality), and applying them to our relationships in the valley.
I love your analogy. To run with it further, the vertically would ring hollow without the horizontal and vice versa. Imagine an Etch-a-Sketch with only one knob…
Ah yes exactly. I'd be keen to read more of your climbing adventures!
And yes the other image that works well for this is the cross - the vertical is absolutely necessary, otherwise the horizontal is just a piece of wood lying on the ground, but once you have the vertical, the horizontal adds depth and breadth.