I see benefits with a competition, but I also see some cons with a competition. Having a competition to see who gets the most outrageous trip can be very dangerous. If you want to have an outrageous trip you are going to have to push your limits as a person in your mind and your body. I do not think you can have an outrageous trip without pushing the limits. If you want a very interesting travelogue then it has to be something out of the ordinary.
If you want your travelogue to be interesting you have to do something that has rarely been done. If you do something many people have done the people will read it and say "I know how this one ends already." Pushing the limits is dangerous. It can sometimes lead to death, but some people live for that excitement and actually live to see the next day, which is an amazing story to hear about. I'm sure some of you remember the guy who walked on a rope across the Grand Canyon. That is something amazing that everyone wants to see and read about. Now I know there is at least one person trying to do the same thing, but on a bigger stage and a harder course. If that person is not experienced enough then he could potentially die. That is what is dangerous about the competition.
Competition fuels us as humans to be better than before. That's why America has some of the best athletes because we fuel each other by trying to be better than everyone else. If we did not have competition we would be settling for boring normal lives. competition is very important in our lives and it would make a great travelogue if you do something out of the ordinary, but pushing the limits too far is very dangerous.
Mike - your observations about just how close to serious injury this sort of competition pushes travel writers struck me as particularly compelling. I keep thinking that travel writing has pushed back from that precipice, but then the story about the person trying to follow up on the tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon hits and I realize that, again, sadly, I am wrong...
ReplyDeleteI like your position: hi lighting the negative aspects of competition. Competition is very much a danger if used improperly. It has been the cause of many deadly and gruesome wars, murders, and so on. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I totally agree. Competition can be used as a weapon, itself. But you also talk about the athletic side of competition. Competition can also be friendly and professional athletes have demonstrated that. They have become idols for many people, so keeping the peace off the field, court, or whatever it may be is important to show in the public eye.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteI really like that you talked about how pushing the envelope is not just a physical trip but a personal battle within the mind and body. I think that this is a great topic to point out. Often times we just think about planning the most outrageous trip to the most unbelievable places, not the activities that a traveler maybe doing to earn the title of "best trip ever" for a moment.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteI never thought about the added risk of danger to the equation. I think this perspective proves to be valuable. I now can see how danger could play a large role in competition. I agree with you on the topic of competition as a motivator. As humans, we very much measure our success off of someone else's. I'm still conflicted about the importance of competition in travel writing. I suppose it just depends if you see travel writing as a business or as a hobby. Overall, nice perspective!