“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change” (Hawking). In the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel, in the argument “Is Survival Selfish” by Lane Wallace, and the scientific writing Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales all include many characteristics to surviving. Leon C. Megginson voices, “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change”, Megginson quote is true because being adaptable is far more essential to survival than intelligence and strength. Some may argue that people with more strength and smarts are better prepared for a potentially survival situation. This is because people who are in better shape, can do more than any other individual who are small and weak. During World War II …show more content…
To illustrate, a girl named Juliane, who had no prior experience of surviving in a forest, survives due to not staying and awaiting rescue. Juliane broke the rules and survives and others “who survived the fall were thinking and deciding, it’s possible that they knew they were supposed to stay out and await rescue. They were rule followers, and it killed them” (Gonzales 327). Being a rule follower may be the correct way to survive, but it will not end up with total success. Having an adaptable mindset will have a much bigger impact than sitting around and waiting. Juliane wants to survive, so she had an adaptable mindset and her outcome being surviving in the forest without rescue or help; but the others who survived the fall had the wrong mindset of surviving and it led to death. In addition, the destruction of the World Trade Center had even more deaths after victims listened to security guards who forced people to stay in the building, “Why did I listen to them-I shouldn't have.’ Another man, an employee of Fuji Bank, actually reached the ground-floor lobby, only to be sent back in by a security guard” (Gonzales 327). Rather than letting people leave the World Trade Center, security guards had them stay put and wait for firefighters to help rescue; as an outcome many people died because of this. Not following the rules would have saved many people's lives. The people who tried to escape the building, had an adaptable mindset and knew that they had to break the rules in order for survival. Following the rules has a major impact on survival, it will lead to being dead or being