My thoughts on Christopher Johnson McCandless

[4clvvess]

I don't care if I die young or old. Tomoro or in a hundred years. I couldn't care less to be honest. I only want to die doing something I love. Painful or not, I don't care. I say risk your life to do something I've never done as long as u feel like you want to do it. I'm not saying don't leave and do what he did. In fact I encourage it. Just not now. Later. (but not too much later)

[4clvvess]

I'm about the same age as u kid. I know wat u mean about boring towns. I want to leave too. But I'm going to wait. And you should too. Don't leave wen ur 16. Wait until you move out of home. I cannot imagine the feeling of a parent waking up to their kids bed with a not and no child. Then realizing that he's not coming back. Just listen to me about this and wait unroll your at least out of the house. I will

[carlossmithy111]

mate, your very young! one day you will be in a position to make your own choices and live a life that suits you. There really is no need to rush it. You will also be grateful of the privilidged upbringing you have to make the person you are and will be. i admire christopher alot, he had big dreams, and he was an extremist. But his actions lead to his very young slow death by starvation!

im just saying try not to make hasty decisions... and make the best with what you have!

[MsAmy501]

Good Memory's Never Lost . R.I.P. Christopher Johnson McCandless .

We Love You (Chris) .

[01pepeluis]

dangerous society!!!!!!!!

[mainjurii]

hey friend... i really would like to hear what you have to say but i find it a bit difficult to hear you over the music... i love that song, but is it possible to upload this video again w/o the music?? pls let me know :)

[TwistedlyBriliant]

@mainjurii Yes i was rather lazy when it came to editing. I figured i would just play it during the video, instead of adding it in with editing! Unfortunately what i meant to say has been taken wrong according to the majority of comments, and it is my own fault for not being very clear, so you are not missing out if you find it difficult to hear what i am saying. I can not remove the music unfortunately, but as i said you are not missing much, although i appreciate your interest in what i said!

[mainjurii]

well i did listen to the first part, and i appreciate that you can relate to chris and how youre saying that its stifling to live where you do. i can imagine that the suburbs of DC would be pretty bad... i mean, DC is the heart of the political corruption of this country, right? like you, i also relate to chris, and respect him so much for what he did... and sadly alot of people just dont understand him at all, and resort to criticism. so thanks for sharing your thoughts :)

[mohager101]

Mccandless did everything I`d like to do in my entire life ... I like him as much as I hate the fucking society I live in !!

[MikeTheMovieDude]

don't listen to the haters dude. just do your thing. anyways, i really liked this vid. i can argue with some of the points you made. but regardless. subscribed. =]

[TwistedlyBriliant]

@MikeTheMovieDude Oh yeah i could argue most the points i made my self for sure! unfortunately this video was not planed out at all and very sloppily done, so the idea i was trying to get across as well as points i made, all sort of got tangled up. Love the name by the way! I am a fan of cinema as well :)

[torturedgenius662]

but if you have the curage to leave the comforts of the "average" human experance behind you must be propared to DIE cos it really is no joke out there!!!

[torturedgenius662]

I argee with zeez142 life is all about experiance but you can't live with out experiance even if your a house wife your experancing being a house wife!! if you never get off your ass and watch t.v that is an experiance in my eye's what Christopher stood for is a rejection of the "average" human experance and way of life!!!

[ZEEZ142]

Your words don't mean anything untill you go out and experence it for yourself.

But you seem to have conscious

[thomasjeeh]

not to put you down, but i think it's more like: hm, i don't like the place i live. wow this guy from this movie who once lived here grew tired of society and went on an adventure! i bet he hated this place just as much as me

[Chriscrunch2]

We all have to find our own "Alaska", whatever that is. Real freedom comes from within, it cannot be given to you by somebody else.

[southbeachlovee]

i feel the same way as do. he is my hero to. :)

[2001030492]

dude you got a lot of heart you keep on living your life happly man .

[BTLRJNN]

I think it's great that you feel you know him & I hope he still gives you hope! but it not where you live now its what you do in the future! you may not like where you are from now but one day you will come to love it or love it for where you are now!

[versionsound]

I'm from Fairfax, Virginia near Oakton where you live and there's nothing wrong with it. In my experience, it's the person not the place that's the problem. Besides, you look like you barely get outside so maybe it's your home not the DC area. The movie is about his family being abusive not the area. Also, have you lived anywhere else to compare Va. to? I'm orginally from San Diego, Ca. I take Va for what it has to OFFER rather than what it doesn't. Stop watchin movies rich kid & go play.

[RogueStatus559]

You moved from CA to VA?

that must have sucked some fucking donkey dick

[WwwDieuswwW]

you such motherfucker!!!fuck you fatboy and suck my dick!!

[hittheground0]

rather than sitting in front of your computer and talking, why dont you go out and go for a hike?

You arent connected to him

his true home was wherever he was

Remember Supertramp

[Localtuff]

This kid is such a dork.

[digitally2007]

people only realize his greatness because he is no more.would he still be alive he would be just another looser of some kind.what he did was truely from the heart and he most probably died happy,trying to fulfill what he wanted most.GOD BLESS HIS SOUL and yours too kid,Your a looser anyway,the solution to that would be to live up and not decide to wander off 'INTO THE WILD".A movie like that could be made on any single persons life and would be a hit movie.coz ever1 has dreams and every1 tries

[ToYouWhoHaveEars]

It used to bother me when I heard people criticize him. Now I am thankful that the deep loneliness that Chris felt is not something that everyone feels. Blessings to you.

[AGENTARMES]

this kid is quite intellectual and articulate for being so young. kudos. McCandless is a hero not because he left his family but because he had the courage to test himself in a way that 99% of humans can't. His fatal flaw was that he made no plans to return to his beginnings to share his experienced wisdom with the rest of us. What chris did is a right of passage that countless cultures have shared across the world for ages. Known in some Native American tribes as a 'VisionQuest'.

[Boppaloppagus]

i dont thinkn that its a stretch to call him a hero. Chris Mccandless hurt his family and those who loved him. Chris, however, was self motivated. He wanted nothing much to do with anybody at all, beside himself, his natural surroundings, and god. He found what he was looking for

[tomaso1313]

What Chris did to his family, the ppl that loves him is just unforgivable. It makes no sense not contacting them for 2 years and has nothin admireable to it. It was coldhearted and egoistic. To call him a hero is complete nonsense. Al though i do admire his courage on most of what he did and i do share his thoughts on the society of today. Longterm happiness is hard to find but i belive chris did.

[beanie638]

Your brainflesh aint developed fully man.... its good to be acknowledging his efforts though. I give you that. Keep on his track, educate yourself and whatnot maybe you will satisfy yourself in contrast to what you could do to be more like him. But first you otta get serious.. hop on the puberty train, cut your hair and get laid then u'll be set eh.

[beanie638]

O and those "thoughts" you claim to be having are just your nero-transmitters responding to the psychological impact of the film "into the wild". Everyone is getting those. The film is DESIGNED to act like that. Its good for the box office right? Those thoughts will diminish quickly... and just cause you lived near him doesn't mean you know him better, have you read any Thoureau or London? Well thats who HE knew best, so read some pages and maybe that will give you a better sense of what he did.

[beanie638]

I didnt even watch the video i am commenting on the comments, BUT i overheard you say he went to extremes?? Who are you to define "extreme" what ignorant kind of thinking is that. He didn't do anything extreme. You just think that in contrast of what every other citizen would do with their time. You are thinking practically, not spiritually. Thats here you are lost,before you can begin to judge him then you must be able to differ the 2. btw you should try hiking it'll loose the pounds for you.

[beanie638]

Noone can even start to explain his philosophies that made him act. He is a free spirit. That is what you are not, get out there and write a journal like he had. That is where your thoughts will start to influence your decisions most. He had an amazing story, but it was his mind that made it beautiful. And that kind of beauty comes from the best of thinking, when you don't waste your thoughts on pointless orderly opinions that "SOCIETY" influences on yourself. He may have left just for that.

[beanie638]

He wasnt some Deity or Amazing person he just happened to become an influential figure because of the lengths he went to to live his dreams. So stop arguing over what he believed, stop following him! The one thing that he would appreciate most is if people went out and lived free off their own thoughts, not his. That would be disappointing to him, and Sean Pean just may have made that story more touching than reality had proven to be. Don't you dare think you know him.

[beanie638]

He was a free spirit. And whoever mentioned "relationships" is obviously oblivious to what he thought because one of his most prized beliefs was that: people believe that you must rely on human relations to survive, hence himself wandering out on the stampede trail with not but a pound of rice and some equipment... alone. He despised the "generalized" human behaviour, he only took what he believed he needed.

[beanie638]

yo people you are all getting so hyped up about how Chris believed in the corruption of society, how oblvious the majority is to his philosophies, but for real you have no idea what he was thinking in his mind.

[kaylanmicha]

Everything in society is about conforming and money and things. Everyone wants to have the newest car, the biggest house. Chris saw not having a home or any money as a blessing, most people consider that a curse. That was the way he could focus on the more important things in life. This story is not about a camping trip gone bad its about finally someone has the courage to go against what society says in right and normal. And yes you have to have "balls" to do what you did jjdelangel. Big Balls

[kaylanmicha]

good point cstarrh92. I know I couldn't live off the land with my current experience. I definitely agree with you on your comment to smcgro12 , the beauty of his story is his sense of adventure. Also anyone can benefit from reading the works of Thoreau like Walden, Civil Disobedience, Life Without Principle, and others. He definitely did not fill his head with nonsense but the greastest transcendental philosophy known to man.

[cstarrh92]

as for you, kaylanmicha, i agree with everything u said except the first sentence. he had very good survival skills. he had to have had decent survival skills. in fact, his survival skills were so good that he lived off the land for over 100 fucking days!!! do u and everybody else know what it means to live off the land? it means u live as a hunter gatherer to find ur next meal. u guys try getting off ur fat asses to find ur own food, NOT in a market...in the backcountry of ALASKA

[cstarrh92]

smcgro12, you obviosuly dont understand the concept of basic human yearning for adventure. the beauty of christopher's alaskan adventure is that it was a spontaneous act. he realized that he lacked the necesary knowledge, but thats the fucking point. he WANTED to challenge himself even if it would prove fatal. damit. why cant u understand that? he knew what was at risk and he embraced the lifestyle of an adventurer and pioneer. have u ever heard of henry david thoreau or john muir? google them

[jjdelangel]

For all of you who think that Chris was a hero you probably have never ever lived a week in the wilderness much less a day. Any experience camper will tell you that what he did was stupid (not taking adequate supplies, a map, a compass or learning how to live off the land). I understand what Chris was trying to do... to get away from the "hypocritical rat race" we live in. Everyone has at one point in their life thought about getting away from it all. Kid, the movie romanticises what Chris did.

[kaylanmicha]

the reason I consider him a hero is not for his survival skills because obviously they weren't very good. I think he is a hero because he actually has the balls to do something he wants, not many people would do that. He also inspires us to look at the world and see the beauty. I also believe that he would have rather died in that bus engorged in the wild than say, in a hospital bed.

[jjdelangel]

I see your point kaylanmicha, I still believe that what he did was dumb read scaleman2776 comment. I have read Thoreau I can see why he did what he did. I know of people who have the balls to challenge nature but have a foothold in reality to survive unlike Chris whose feet were somewhere else. By the way, having balls is subjective to one's experience. I served in Iraq running convoys and confronting IED's and small arms fire, so does this mean I have no "balls" if we follow Chris' example?

[kaylanmicha]

Chris a hero because he had the courage to go against society. Not necessarily because he had the "balls" to go into the wild. Many people have done that. The point is he was done with society. And thats where his courage came in. There are not many people that would do what he did.

[scaleman2776]

I think that the movie does romanticize what he did, the reality of it is he had no idea what he was doing, he did something very stupid and it cost him his life. The movie also left out facts like at the end of the movie the "godbless" sign was not even remotely close, the sign read I am injured and am dying please help, he didn'[t identify himself, the guy in south dakota identifed him as being from virginia anjd that led to findig his family

[smcgro12]

chris was intelligent when it came to fiction books and fairytales but he seriously lacked in common sense and problem solving skills making him not highly intelligent. oh no my dad had affair my life is so bad! fuck me man. and all you clowns are inspired by him lol. he hitchiked then killed himself because his head was filled with nonsense

[Watercolorprincess]

poor kid thinks he knows, but sadly he's clueless. kid your brain hasn't developed enough to fathom why he did what he did.

[pawb8782]

grow up a little bit, the world is crazy. no offense. I mean you can't even drive. He was a college graduate with great intelligence. its much more than politics and where you grew up. I do think a lot of people were influenced by him. If you want to walk cross country then hike the Appalachian Trail. Live in the wild and hiking, but with safety and care packages. It's great.

[dmodlin71]

one more note - I have a theory that Chris McCandless had asperger syndrome, which accounts for some of his weird traits - high intelligence, obsessive thoughts about certain subjects, didn't like relationships, didn't like socks.......

[dmodlin71]

Just a general critique - too dark, music too loud, you need to sit still! haha, and not put your hand in front of your mouth because all the sudden we can't hear you. Otherwise I agree - suburban life kills! Move to Seattle - year-around green, scenery, ocean, individualism, and close to "the wild."

[deannam1981]

it's kind of a nice idea. escape society and live life freely. going into the alaskan wilderness with no experience or knowledge of how to live out there is stupid. i thought it was cool how he went down the colorado river without a permit, but going into the woods like that was a suicide mission.

[Busrunner89]

you think you lived in the same situation?

Christopher McCandless had a problem with his family. But it wasn't just that. He was high intelligent and high intelligent people think really in another way sometimes. Well he lived in a world with too many borders. Don't ever put a bird that really wants to fly into a cage.

Christopher McCandless escaped out of the cage and started to fly. But you are young. Collect your own expierences and luck :)

Best wishes.

[bigchief70]

I seriously doubt he embarked on his amazing journey based soley on the fact that he grew up in the DC burbs. I appreciate that you shared your thoughts, however just because you live in the same area where he grew up does NOT mean you know anything about Chris. Chris was a very complex person that knew what he wanted out of life and he knew that he wouldn't find it while living from the comfort of his own apartment or back home. He was born for a life on the endless road.

[samimartin07]

I saw the movie today and have been obsessed with his story. I completly support him, and his message and way of thought is something ive been thinking about for some time now

[thevandammes2]

I know what u are saying!

[kerygema]

that i am and that i need to be, thank you for sharing ,thats what chris would have wanted i think based on the kind of man he seemed to be.i hope that it helps you to grow into a compassionate loving man

[kerygema]

you need to stay still and speak louder.i could barley hear you ,also keep your hands away from your face ,that makes it hard to hear you also.i hope you never forget how that movie made you feel inside,this movie is more then escapism, it is about life and relationship,and what happiness is and how it is achieved.chris showed me to respect people and share my time wisley,we never know truley how we impact anothers life,nor what we really mean to each other,i am re-examining the kind of parent