There is probably a list of things your mom told you NEVER to do, and most of these stunts are on that list. If they aren’t, you know she definitely would if she saw this video. So WARNING (and we are serious here), enjoy watching these but do not try these at home! Many of these clips are amazing because they are death-defying. But remember, for every one of these amazing acts of bravery, there’s probably 10 more that never ended up on Youtube because the outcome didn’t turn out as successful as these did!
Who are these thrill seekers and why do they take such risks?
In 2009, Lindsay Oades and Erik Brymer conducted a study of 15 participants who participated in extreme sports and activities such as extreme skiing, big wave surfing, B.A.S.E. jumping (building, antenna, span, earth), extreme mountaineering, waterfall kayaking, and other equally dangerous stunts.
The study intentionally explored any positive outcomes of taking such risks, and they actually found a few related to humility and courage. Their results indicated that “humility and courage can be deliberately sought out by participating in activities that involve a real chance of death and fear.”
Fear – no problem. Death? Never risk your life to gain courage or to become more humble.
In his book, Over the Edge: a regular guys´ odyssey in extreme sports, Michael Bane added to the ideas behind the Oades/Brymer study and suggested that the positives that come from attempting extremism at such a high cost transform a person’s overall confidence and courage in other areas of their life.
Ok, but aren’t there better ways to do this? Absolutely. If you watch the video again, you will see plenty of examples of non-life-threating risks that cause your body to release Dopamine. Dopamine is the body’s producing reward of that “adrenalin-rush” feeling you get when you accomplish something you may not have thought you could. It’s also addicting. So stay safe, have fun, and live to tell about it!
