[Natasha20092]

Why do some white people enjoy engaging in potentially life-threatening activities? For example, bungy-jumping, whitewater rafting, climbing Mount Everest, etc. Do non-white people engage in such activities in large numbers?

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Name : Natasha20092, Gender : F, Religion : Christian, City : Queens, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Matt22045]

For one thing, except for climbing Mount Everest (which isn't done by that many people), none of those activities are really life-threatening. If they were, so many people wouldn't do them. Many folks do those things for the roller coaster effect. It gives them a simulation of being on-edge, without actually putting their life in real danger. For example, riding a bungee cord gives a person a chance to experience falling what would normally be a lethal distance without having that sudden stop at the end. Whitewater rafting gives people the ability to enjoy the slings and arrows of wild rivers without actually having to learn how to paddle. Now, people who paddle canoes rather than rafts may have a different motive: a canoe is far more efficient and graceful, but of course is much easier to sink if you don't know what you're doing. The application of time into skill means that perhaps they are there for reasons other than the roller coaster factor, as acquiring skills often bores the roller coaster fan. As for the bluff climbers, there seems to be a mixture of interests. Some, like many canoeists, are there to experience nature more closely to the way it is, moving backward in time in an attempt to discover where we come from. To others, it's a social event, or even an ego trip (some do it so they can talk about doing it, but they don't go very far). And still some do it for the thrill. Rock climbers often intrigue me because, ironically, at times the thrill-seeking firebugs actually have a few years of experience under their belts.

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Name : Matt22045, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 23, City : Somewhere, State : TN Country : United States, Occupation : Programmer/Musician, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Jason]

I can't say that I speak for all white people, but damn, life would be really boring if you didn't shake it up a little now and then. Maybe because we live mostly in the 'burbs and life is pretty dull there. Without the occasionally life-threatening activity we just might go insane. I also think that these kind of activities, especially for men, are kind of a bragging right. A reason to stick out your chest. It gives you the feeling that you have conquered something, have overcome an obstacle, and of pride in oneself.

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Name : Jason, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : Kansas City, State : KS Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Campbell McGregor]

Of course they do! Mount Everest was first climbed by Hillary AND Tenzing, a Sherpa. It has since been climbed by other Sherpas and by Chinese expeditions.

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Name : Campbell McGregor, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : asperger's syndrome, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 43, City : Glasgow, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : school crossing patroller, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Dave]

Color of skin has nothing to do with a person wanting to experience excitement. We all have primal instincts that we inherited from our caveman ancestors. Fight or Flight is the most common primal instinct. Out of that comes the necessity to stay alert for predators. Nowadays, the only real danger we face every day from 'predators' is from dodging automobiles. We know those are inorganic and controlled by fellow humans, but our primitive self wants us to pump some epinephrine, so subconsciously our primitive brain tells us to do something to pump ourselves up.

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Name : Dave, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Depression, not disabled., Race : American Indian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 48, City : Jacksonville, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Mental Health, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Rich30058]

Everyone needs a certain level of stress in their life. Not enough and you are bored. Too much and ... well, there are too many bad reactions to list. People engage in these activities to raise the level of stress to acceptable levels. If family, career, health, etc. are fine, then you have to do something to artificially increase stress levels. To use another example, LSD tends to be a white-person drug. Have you ever heard of a black person doing it? LSD induces a lot of stress. It is not relaxing in the least. Blacks (and 99 percent of everyone else) tend to use alcohol or drugs to reduce stress. To put it another way: More privileged life = not much to worry about = bored = go out of your way to create more stress.

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Name : Rich30058, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 21+, City : San Jose, State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[Rick29902]

I don't think it is a race-related issue, it is more of a moronic issue, since many times when people put their bored lives at risk, we the taxpayers end up paying the bill.

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Name : Rick29902, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 41, City : Piedmont, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Management, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Sanja]

People of color generally encounter thrilling, life-threatening experiences as a part of their daily life, unlike middle-class white people.

User Detail :  

Name : Sanja, Gender : M, Age : 35, City : Delhi, State : NA Country : India, Social class : Lower class, 

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