By: Thomas Horvath

“Today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant, and to face the challenge of change.” This quote is from The World House written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was not only a brilliant thinker but also a survivor who perfectly represents the traits needed to be a survivor. According to Merriam-Webster, survival is defined as the ability “to continue to function or prosper despite; withstand.” Many traits are associated with survival and surviving, but the characteristics that truly define a survivor are bravery, intelligence, and determination. 

“Bravery is typically defined as courage and fearlessness in facing difficulty or adversity” (Liu). Bravery and courage are synonymous with each other and are crucial to being a survivor. In survival, a person must be able to take the necessary steps to survive, even if it is frightening. “If you can own your fear and keep it under control, it will start working for you” (MacWelch). As the quote implies, bravery is more than not being afraid, it’s about being able to conquer any challenges put in a person’s path. Bravery may often be associated with fearlessness, but this is not entirely true. “People who are courageous are scared to the core–they just make themselves take some kind of action” (Newman). This quote helps illustrate the idea that fear is crucial to being brave because it isn’t brave for a person to do something that is not intimidating. Being afraid and acknowledging the fear is a crucial step in being brave and an even more important step in survival. “Taking action, even though you’re afraid, is how you become courageous– because courage, like fear, is a habit”(Newman). This quote shows how even though emotions are uncontrollable, a person can still keep control, which is crucial to survival.  Fear can be a detriment to survival, but it can also be a strength. Fear can cause a person to panic, but fear can also keep a person sharp, prepared, and calculated. Fear, with all its determinants, can be great for intelligence. 

“Psychologist Robert Sternberg defined intelligence as ‘mental activity directed toward purposive adaptation to, selection, and shaping of real-world environments relevant to one’s life’ (Sternberg)” (Mavengere). To be a survivor, intelligence is crucial to making sure no mistakes are made that can result in failure. Bravery itself is a great trait to have in survival situations, but only if accompanied by intelligence. For instance, attacking a bear in the wilderness with no means of winning is just as idiotic as it is brave. Intelligence is a great compass when deciding which situations are worth fleeing and which are worth fighting for. “When an individual can take everything in, they can see things that others missed like subtle patterns” (Mavengere). Building on this quote, intelligence can be helpful in taking a step back and evaluating surroundings. For example, in the 2008 young adult novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the book follows our protagonist Katniss, and a boy named Peeta from her district. They have been selected for The Hunger Games where one of them must be the last person standing. They are mentored by a man named Haymitch, who was the last person from their district to win The Hunger Games. Haymitch is a drunk and is not physically special in any way, which leads Katniss and Peeta to speculate on how he won. “There’s only one way Haymitch could have won, and Peeta says it just as I’m reaching this conclusion myself. ‘He outsmarted the others,’ says Peeta” (Collins 293). The character of Haymitch shows that intelligence is the best compensation for a lack of bravery or physical capability. “A deeper understanding of an overall situation provides better intuitional foresight of potential or probable problems” (Ken J.). Many people are physically weak, and intelligence can be a great benefit to those who cannot physically compete, such as Stephen Hawking, who proved to the world that brain power can more than make up for physical inability. Intelligence can be even more of a strength if paired with the determination to plan and think. 

Bravery and intelligence are necessary traits to being a survivor, but both need determination to be properly used. “Determination is the essence of increasing your chances of success in a particular goal, and it can also help you stay motivated and continue striving towards the one thing you want to achieve” (Winn). Determination is crucial to survival and can often be the only reason a person is still alive. “It makes you focused on your goals, on the things that must be done in order to survive under every possible condition” (Rejba). The previous quote shows why determination is important, as determination is the very goal that makes a person power through. Without goals and aspirations, there’d be no reason to tread along. “Many survival stories speak of the survivor’s devotion to their religion or a higher power for providing motivation and hope” (MacWelch). This quote shows the different types of goals a person may have, but it still results in one main goal: survival. “Only those who are motivated by something they consider to be worthwhile will find the motivation they need to survive a difficult circumstance” (Sexton). Survival is tough, and without determination to keep a person’s willpower strong and to keep that person from giving up, there may be no survival. 

There is no survival without bravery, intelligence, and determination. All of these traits embody other traits that will be needed when push comes to shove, and all work when together. Bravery without intelligence is reckless, intelligence without determination is useless, and determination without bravery or intelligence is pointless. These three traits make up for each other’s weaknesses and join together to make an unstoppable grouping. Circling back to Dr. King’s quote, it indirectly proves the three necessary traits to be a survivor. “Our ability to stay awake… to remain vigilant,” This is determination. “To adjust to new ideas,” This is intelligence. “And to face the challenge of change.” This is bravery. There are many factors in being a survivor, but with bravery, intelligence, and determination, survival is as close to guaranteed as possible.