How do people become adventurers?

People often accuse me of being an adventurer. I’m a radical, an anarchist, a union organizer; I’ve been to jail, through all the courts, been interviewed hundreds, perhaps thousands of times by every conceivable type of media; I’ve had guns pointed at my head — more than once, threatened with knives, teargassed, peppersprayed, beaten with truncheons, had bones broken by riot police, bitten by police dogs, and trampled by police horses; I’ve found listening devices in my home, and had full-colour death threats with my photo on them posted to telephone poles all over the city; I’m a published writer, a pornographer, and a professional digital artist; I once, briefly, held the world record for highest score on Zaxxon.

In short, my life has been unusual. And that’s how people become “adventurers.” When I go for a walk with friends, they are always astounded that weird, out-of-the-normal things happen to me constantly. It’s not that I was born a weirdness magnet, it’s that most people are trained not to see. I have never passed a person crying and not offered to help. I’ve never ignored a person who tried to get my attention. I’ve never dismissed a single living soul or refused to listen to what they have to say, no matter how they’re dressed or how unlikely their story seems. I have never followed an instruction without question, no matter how much I was threatened, or how dire the consequences of doing so. When most people hear or see a violent commotion, their natural instinct is to depart, while mine is to head straight towards it.

I keep my life very simple, my personal possessions minimal, and my responsibilities small, so that I can throw everything away at any time if it should occur to me that it’s time to go to prison or spend a year living in a tent.

The kinds of people you see on National Geographic, people like Jacques Cousteau or Thor Heyerdahl, are similar to me but much, much more so. They’ll risk their lives on a daily basis without a thought, laughing all the while, but at the same time being capable of throwing away five irreplacable years in academia or apprenticeships acquiring the skills which allow them to not only survive but thrive in situations where angels fear to tread.

Anyone can be an adventurer. Anyone. All it takes is a willingness to leave normalcy behind forever, and being prepared at all times to throw away everything on an instant’s notice to take advantage of events which normal people not only pass by, but don’t even see.

Most people are just born with this gene. I agree with most adventureres.

I do not agree with storm chasers.

I feel these people are just out for personal glory and the weather channels just love it.

With all the technology at the disposal of scientist and weathermen, storm chasers are not necessary.

I would only hope their insurnace would not cover hail and wind damage due to dangerous chances they are taking and not necessary.

I agree with @SmashTheState in that anyone can be an adventurer. You just have to get out there and take on a few things. Once you do that and feel the adventure was worth the risk, you will step it up a notch next time.
The rush IS worth the risk.
Try something adventurous tomorrow and report back.

@john65pennington – What is considered a storm chaser? What is the difference between storm chaser and adventurer?

So people are just born with this to explore the world more ?

For example like Leo’s character in “Blood Diamond”. How would someone even get to that position?

I used to be an adventurer, but then, I took an arrow to the knee.

Sorry…

I really don’t know. I kinda wonder that myself. Seems to me that it would be cool to just be able to explore some old ruin with proto Norse carvings all over, or like, just wonder around some jungle. I’m not the most physically fit person, but I’d do that in a heartbeat, given the chance. But @SmashTheState is being really inspiring and thought provoking here. Maybe I just don’t see a chance. I’m one of em stuck in a downward spiral routine people.
I have often thought though, why not just leave everything behind, and go hitchhiking. See what can happen there.

But considering the question details here, the whole Indiana Jones thing, I seriously do not know. I wish those people would share it with me.

@SmashTheState Dude, brief world record in Zaxxon? Seriously??

Desire, means, motivation and money.

I’m not being flippant here, but it is really quite simple. You become an adventurer by going on an adventure. Adventures start in many, many ways. You won’t know you’re on an adventure until you decide you are on an adventure.

I’ve always been interested in travel and the outdoors. It was a dream of mine to be a photographer for National Geographic. Then I had kids and fell in love with being a mommy. Maybe some day I can get out there and take those pictures in remote locations. It would be fun.

@john65pennington Did you know that most storm chasers are scientists and are chasing storms to gather data to learn more about the storms? They aren’t just doing it for the hell of it. I know we’ve had this discussion before and I gave you some links that would help you understand that not all chasers are thrill seekers.

Well, there is adventurer and then there is sociopath. A fine line methinks.
Researching oceanic life or living with gorillas is not the same as being a militant.

Apples and oranges if you ask me.

I’m an adventurer, have been up in hot air balloons., hung over cliffs in wild canyons, rafted wild rivers, traveled a lot, ridden endurance horses, but, I’ve never been arrested for my adventures.

Yep, you just DO what turns you on.

Where there’s a will, there is a way.

@Coloma – Sociopath ?? Isn’t that what serial killers and psychos are ?? What does that have to do with being an adventurer ?

I wouldn’t call my self an “Adventurer”, but I have had quite a few of my own. Some exciting, some scary and some I didn’t even realize was one until after it happened. I never went out looking for any of them, they just kinda happened. And I think the reason I ended up having them was because I was open to doing what ever, when ever something presented it self, whether I/it failed or not. I don’t think its something your either born with or without, I think you just need to have a little bit of a “free-spirit” in ya.

You are born with characteristics that allow you to be an adventurer. Adventurers are risk takers, such as little kids who like to explore on their own without fear that something will go wrong. They’ll try anything. (some times to their parents’ dismay)
Contrast that with kids who don’t want to try anything new. There are people who grew up in a suburb of a big city and never visited that city. They still live were they grew up. These are the opposite of risk takers. There’s nothing wrong with them; it’s just part of their personal comfort zone.
Then there are the matters of opportunity and finances. Some jobs that might make it possible: travel writing; evaluating travel opportunities; scientific exploration in the fields of zoology, biology, sociology etc.etc.; missionary work; medical work. There are many more. What I’m suggesting is to study in a field that could offer the opportunity. Unless you’re a millionaire.

@partyrock

A lot of adrenalin fueled risk takers have a need for high octane stimulation, an extreme restlessness and boredom if not involved in high energy, risk taking, behaviors.
One doesn’t have to be a killer to have sociopathic traits. It’s just one of the more extreme facets. Never mind, lost in translation. ;-)

@Coloma – I thought “sociopath” was a negative term ? I didn’t know if you had extreme restlessness you would be considered a sociopath. I thought sociopaths were known for negative things like manipulation and what not.

@partyrock Let me clear up the confusion. @Coloma is taking a shot at me. She can’t tell you, because we’re not allowed to take shots at each other. She doesn’t like my politics. She doesn’t like my methods. She doesn’t like me. She figures throwing flowers works better than bricks, and I belong in prison with the rest of the sociopaths. I’ll keep my own thoughts on her pacifist philosophy to myself.

@SmashTheState – You are pretty awesome I think.

Adventure is a judgment. We all have advents in our lives. Every moment is a new advents. But most of us won’t call it an adventure since it seems normal to us. We somehow believe that our experience is not unique; that it replicates millions of other experiences.

The trick to adventuring is to see it as adventuring. Is fluther an adventure? Depends on how you look at it. Everyone, though, goes through an adventure to find their place on fluther, and that adventure is ongoing.

Some people seek out rare experiences. Some people seek out dangerous experiences. Some people seek out interior experiences. They are all adventures to the adventurer. Convincing someone else they are adventures is primarily a question of how you make the sale. How you tell the story.

Read Joseph Campbell. The adventure is the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey is a formula for telling the story of a set of events one has experienced. If you do it right, every story about your life is the story of a hero’s journey, and every hero’s journey is an adventure. Be a hero. Go on an adventure. Or, look at your life and tell it as an adventure where you are the hero.

Just get out and do it. I never considered myself and adventurer until I thought about this question. Granted I never made it to National Geographic of CNN, but then I never really wanted the headaches that accompany fame. But I have seen things most people only see on TV. So far live has beaten memorex every time. Even the not so pleasant stuff was worthwhile, as it makes the good stuff that much more appreciated.

And you don’t have to start big, take a trip to a nearby park or forest. If you need a push, join the Red Cross and volunteer for their disaster response teams.

Everything in life is an adventure… If you want to live to an old ripe age like me, bring along some common sense on your adventure.