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Well there's also many examples of people who pulled their own plug when the going got too laborious and they saw the writing on the wall. He could end up being one of those people. Not everyone changes their tune regarding this matter. Some grab a pistol; some jump out a window.


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I thought the same thing. A) The dude clearly had some loose screws. B) He was convinced his actions were just. After crossing that line, you can justify plenty of stuff to yourself.

I think that's exactly what happened. He hit a point of no return and rather than go ahead, decided to save himself.

But then he wouldn't have had a cool story to post on Medium. He wouldn't have gotten all this attention.

Alternatively, one could argue that he took one for the team - he did something risky and stupid so he could find out what would happen, see if he could get out of it, and share the experience with those of us too responsible and sane to try it ourselves.

Either way though your point stands. He clearly chose to put himself in the situation he was in.


He went out on his own terms subject to the rules of the way he lived. No excuses. It may not have been his intent to die but he was willing to take the risk. That is the price of true agency.

He had a different risk tolerance and definition of safety. I would not agree that he made wise choice, but there is a difference between wanton recklessness and literally suicidal.

Depends what he wanted out of life really. He may just have run into the point where having a little extra leverage would have been meaningless, or at least more bother than it was worth.

In an ideal world perhaps. In the real world, sometimes you just have to suck it up to avoid an even more desperate situation. I think it's clear that's what he did.

It's also likely that he didn't realize what he was doing at the time. Maybe he felt upset or stressed about the situation but not necessarily that he was subconsciously hoping to failure.

Yup, but the decision he probably had to make was to save face and leave or get booted the fuck out.

He brought this mess onto himself by himself. Let us keep in mind: he wanted out but he had to stick to the mess he created himself.

He may not have been lazy; he may not believe in the system.

I know this is probably a rhetorical question, but the answer is: "He felt like it, and he has no boss to reign in such impulses."

He had no strategy. Weirdly. Because he said he told himself he'd have a chance at one of those buckets some day. In which case I'd have expected he'd have thought of an exit. Some kind of plan to leave the country, maybe even a contingency, in case he ever struck it rich.

Surely, it you choose a life of crime, you'd do that anyway? Kind of a burn the bridges get out fast plan, for when things go wrong. Which they will, eventually.


He probably didn't think he'd get caught or ego.

Yeah, but it was his risk to take, and he took it. He seems wise enough to be somewhat risk-averse, but I really doubt he'll get in trouble for it.

I disagree he was reckless though. He thought he was dying - and quite likely he would have had he didn't start a signal fire.

It got out of hand yes and there were better ways, but I bet he was not thinking clearly since he was suffering medically and mentally.


Exactly. I've a feeling he was already on his way out, but there wasn't a clear path to do so.

Alternatively someone was forced to do something he didn’t believe in and purposefully didn’t erase all his tracks.

Maybe he saw the light and error of his ways?
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