by Adam Meyers

Created on: November 22, 2008

Willpower is described as the power to choose or decide. Survival is described as the state of remaining alive. Though willpower and survival are located on different pages of the dictionary they intertwine when disasters surprisingly unfold. In the collective world media, of newspapers, magazines, television, internet and radio willpower is often the explanation given for survival, whether it is physical or mental willpower, or even sheer courage, will power is present in all instances of survival

Mental toughness is paramount in all cases in which an individual is forced to survive, something that the Beaconsfield miners are more than qualified to illustrate. Miners, Brant Webb and Todd Russell, in 2006, spent 11 days trapped underground in a collapsed mine in Beaconsfield, Tasmania. Brant and Todd were without outside communication for 4 days before they were found, they had no one but each other to talk to and no food or water. Brant and Todd said they were willing to cut off their own legs to survive.

Mental willpower was certainly at play for the four days in which they were seemingly doomed. Without a supreme level of mental toughness Brant and Todd may have not gotten out of that mine alive. After several mentally exhausting days they were found by rescue teams and were entertained by Ipods full of Foo Fighters music and nourished by Sustagen fed to them via a tube. After Brant and Todd were rescued they both walked straight over to a notice board and clocked off symbolizing the end of their time in the mine.

Another vital point contributing to survival is ignoring physical pain, in Stuart Divers case this was of the utmost importance. In 2002 in Thredbo, Australia, Stuart Diver was in bed with his wife when an avalanche crushed the cabin he was residing in, leaving him to a seemingly impending snowy grave. Stuart was buried under the tons of snow and a concrete slab from the wreckage for 66 hours before being rescued. Sadly Stuart's wife didn't survive the disaster.

Stuart withstood an unbearable amount of physical pain for the duration of his time trapped. After being freed he suffered from hypothermia and some broken bones. The physical strength of Stuart was apparent during the 66 hours he was trapped, a true testament to the physical willpower that is required to survive.

Courage is a component vital to survival, so vital in that without it being mentally and physically tough mean almost nothing. The greatest display of human bravery must be considered to be the firefighters of the 9/11 disaster. On September 11, 2001 in New York City, New York the worst disaster in recent history occurred when two airplanes plunged into the south and north towers of the World Trade Center.

Hundreds of lives were lost on September 11 during the crashes, but fortunately many were saved from the World Trade Center rubble days afterwards. The New York Fire Department was in the spotlight in the days following the disaster, stepping up to the plate the brave firefighters risked their own lives and wellbeing to save the lives of others. Although some firefighters died as the result of 9/11 the small part they played, helped rescue many.

Whether it is through immense bravery, superior physical strength or optimum mental toughness, the force of will is by far an explanation of human survival. Without a force of will Brant and Todd would've shut down and died in that mine, without a force of will Stuart certainly would've perished under the snow in Thredbo. Without a force of will the firefighters of New York wouldn't have saved as many lives as they did. Without a force of will survival would be scarce.

Learn more about this author, Adam Meyers.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.