essay on an experience that put you in danger

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Study Today

Largest Compilation of Structured Essays and Exams

A Dangerous Experience Essay

March 10, 2020 by Study Mentor 2 Comments

We, humans, have received a wonderful gift from God and that gift is life. He has given this gift to us so that we stay happy and enjoy the gift.

But nothing in the world is an easy task. If one chooses a shortcut to achieve something, the person will get happiness but that will exist for a small time. After that, the person has to bear the consequences of choosing the shortcut way in life. If one wants something in life, one must have the dedication to want it and must work hard in order to achieve that no matter what takes him to do that.

As there is a bad consequence for taking an easy way or shortcut, it means that life is not easy. Life is full of ups and downs. There will be both good times and bad times in our life. But we should not lose hope during bad times. Instead, we need to be strong and remove the bad air from our life. Our life will not go in an easy path.

There will be problems in our way. We need to face those obstacles and win over them. We should not back out or run away from these problems.

If we do not face them, we will not be able to learn anything. We will always be scared to try something new.

There many events or incidents that occur in our life. Some turn out to be a good one while some turn out to be bad. When the experience is good, people are very happy and cheerful. Their happiness has no bound.

But if the experience goes bad, people become disheartened. They feel like they have lost everything. They do not have the energy and inner self to do anything more.

But people should learn from these bad experiences. Some events turn to be bad and that happens for a purpose. A bad experience about anything teaches us to be confident.

Only after a bad experience, we will learn to be aware and work in a better way. A bad experience is necessary because only after a bad time we get to see a good time. Life is a mixture of good and bad times and it is not a bed full of roses.

I have experienced many bad times and a few of them have turned to be dangerous ones too. Those dangerous ones still haunt me even during day time.

If that haunts during day time itself then at night my condition becomes worse. I still have a fresh memory of that day.

It seems to me that the incident took place just yesterday. This dangerous incident took place on September 18, 2011. This day was Sunday.

Then I was studying in class ten. It was the week of my half yearly examination. The next day, that is, on Monday I had my Mathematics and Environmental Education Examination.

The weather that day was gloomy from the morning itself. It was raining from early morning.

Despite the rain we went to church. After returning from church we had breakfast. After that my parents were preparing for lunch.

In the mean time I was busy learning formulas and solving Mathematics problems. My father was giving me fried fish to eat while I was studying.

Soon it was time for lunch. We all had our lunch. It was not raining anymore but the weather was still gloomy. The entire day looked as if it is going to be night.

But it was still day time. After we finished with our lunch, we went to rest. I planned to rest for at least two hours as I needed a break from studying. A proper sleep would make my mind fresh to study in the evening and night.

After the afternoon sleep, we had our evening snacks. I went back to my study room to continue preparing for my exams. Meanwhile, my parents were watching television in the other room. I started studying Environmental Education. I was going through important topics and memorizing the necessary information.

Everything was stable at that time. After thirty to forty five minutes, I was studying the chapter on earthquakes and other disasters. Suddenly, I felt my study table is shaking and even the statues kept on my table were moving.

I thought this is happening because I have the habit of keeping my legs on the rod of the table and keep shaking my legs.

So, I considered that the movement on my study table was because of them. I was afraid in the starting but then later I calmed myself down.

Then, the house bell rang and the milk maid came to give milk. So, my mother went to the kitchen to bring a utensil to take the milk.

My mother just took the utensil and was going to the verandah; my table started shaking more than before.

My heartbeat increased and I did not know what was going on. Suddenly, even the electric water pump started to make sound.

The showcase where expensive utensils are kept, even that was making sound. The emergency light stand was kept on the dining table and that fell down.

At this point of time I got more scared. This happened in seconds. By the time my parents realized it is an earthquake, they were running out calling my name and asking me to come out.

First of all I was scared because of the first shaking incident of the table, this time I did not know what to do.

Hearing my parents voice, I was rushing out of study room but I didn’t know which side to go as there was no electricity. So, I could not see the way.

I was the only one inside the house at that time. Everyone was outside the house calling out my name. I started crying not knowing what to do.

I finally managed to find the way and I went out. I was crying very badly and held my parents hands.

The earthquake was a major one. I had never experienced this before. This was the reason I was very scared. While we were standing outside, the plates, that is, the outermost part of the earth was shaking very much.

We felt that the plates would break anytime soon and we all would go inside and die. Everyone was worried and we could hear the people shouting in the neighbourhood.

There was commotion everywhere. We were continuously praying and kept our trust on God that he will not let anything happen to us. He will surely save us.

After some time, everything became stable but still people were shouting in worry. We remained outside the house for some time and talked with the neighbours if everything was fine.

There was no electricity and all the telephone lines were blocked.

There was no signal in the telephone lines. After everything became stable we went inside and continued with our work.

I could not study anymore as I was horrified with the incident. So, I stayed with my father in the same room. We were waiting for electricity to come and for the telephone signals.

Electricity came back much later. As soon as the telephone lines came back, we started contacting our near and dear ones to ask if they were fine.

Even we were receiving calls from our other family members and relatives. They got a big relief when we told them that we all were safe.

Slowly, everything became normal. But I took a little time. I ate my dinner in fear thinking what if this happens again at night when everyone is sleeping.

After dinner my parents asked me to sleep because I was not able to study after the earthquake. Even they went to sleep.

But I did not sleep the entire night. I was thinking about the incident and my reaction was like what did just happened today.

Did it happen in reality? Or was it just a bad dream or a nightmare? I started getting negative thoughts and just waited for the sunrise.

I never experienced this incident before. So, I was very scared. Even if I become old, I will never be able to forget this incident because it was a first time experience and dangerous too.

This earthquake caused a lot of destruction. The earthquake measured 6.9 magnitude according to the Richter scale.

It badly affected the areas of Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Bihar, Sikkim and its adjoining areas.

The epicenter was in Sikkim and so it affected our place as well because Sikkim is only 152 km far. The earthquake was in the Kanchenjunga range.

After this earthquake, I have experienced earthquakes many times but the magnitude has never been so high.

The earthquake of September 18, 2011 made me more confident, bold and brave to handle incidents like this. After this major earthquake, we all became used to frequent trembling of the plates.

Reader Interactions

March 9, 2020 at 5:29 pm

March 10, 2020 at 9:44 pm

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top Trending Essays in March 2021

• Essay on Pollution
• Essay on my School
• Summer Season
• My favourite teacher
• World heritage day quotes
• my family speech
• importance of trees essay
• autobiography of a pen
• honesty is the best policy essay
• essay on building a great india
• my favourite book essay
• essay on caa
• my favourite player
• autobiography of a river
• farewell speech for class 10 by class 9
• essay my favourite teacher 200 words
• internet influence on kids essay
• my favourite cartoon character

Brilliantly

Content & links.

Verified by Sur.ly

Essay for Students

• Essay for Class 1 to 5 Students

Scholarships for Students

• Class 1 Students Scholarship
• Class 2 Students Scholarship
• Class 3 Students Scholarship
• Class 4 Students Scholarship
• Class 5 students Scholarship
• Class 6 Students Scholarship
• Class 7 students Scholarship
• Class 8 Students Scholarship
• Class 9 Students Scholarship
• Class 10 Students Scholarship
• Class 11 Students Scholarship
• Class 12 Students Scholarship

STAY CONNECTED

• About Study Today
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Scholarships

• Apj Abdul Kalam Scholarship
• Ashirwad Scholarship
• Bihar Scholarship
• Canara Bank Scholarship
• Colgate Scholarship
• Dr Ambedkar Scholarship
• E District Scholarship
• Epass Karnataka Scholarship
• Fair And Lovely Scholarship
• Floridas John Mckay Scholarship
• Inspire Scholarship
• Jio Scholarship
• Karnataka Minority Scholarship
• Lic Scholarship
• Maulana Azad Scholarship
• Medhavi Scholarship
• Minority Scholarship
• Moma Scholarship
• Mp Scholarship
• Muslim Minority Scholarship
• Nsp Scholarship
• Oasis Scholarship
• Obc Scholarship
• Odisha Scholarship
• Pfms Scholarship
• Post Matric Scholarship
• Pre Matric Scholarship
• Prerana Scholarship
• Prime Minister Scholarship
• Rajasthan Scholarship
• Santoor Scholarship
• Sitaram Jindal Scholarship
• Ssp Scholarship
• Swami Vivekananda Scholarship
• Ts Epass Scholarship
• Up Scholarship
• Vidhyasaarathi Scholarship
• Wbmdfc Scholarship
• West Bengal Minority Scholarship
• Click Here Now!!

Mobile Number

Have you Burn Crackers this Diwali ? Yes No

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Life Personal Experience

The Scariest Moment of My Life: A Brush with Fear

Table of contents, the setting, the encounter, the unseen threat, the fight or flight instinct, the aftermath.

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Community Service

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Scary Experience Essay Examples

• Contact/FAQ
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Academic Honor Code
• Kibin Reviews & Testimonials
• Meet the Editors
• Proofreading Jobs
• Essay Writing Blog

26 People Share The Most Deeply Terrifying Experience Of Their Entire Life

• https://thoughtcatalog.com/?p=758630

1. A Bad Feeling

I was playing with my friend at a playground near my house. It was around dusk and we had been there for about an hour when we both stopped and immediately sprinted back to my house without saying a word to each other. Turns out we had both had the same dark, terrible feeling in our gut and knew we had to get out of there.

The next morning we went back and found a cat head on the playground, just the skull, and fur, nothing else, no brain or eyes or anything. We think it might have been a mountain lion as they are prevalent in our area.

It’s hard to explain that awful gut feeling, but I’ve never been so scared without being in any noticeable danger in my life.

2. Barbie And Baby

This is pretty silly actually. When I was a kid, I had a Barbie that came with a little baby. This baby unsettled me for some reason, something about its face was spooky. One day, I stopped playing and started to walk out of my bedroom, but something compelled me to go back to turn the baby’s face away from me first. I went to the bathroom, came back, and the baby’s face had somehow turned back to its original position, facing me. Understandably, I had an absolute fit. I cried to my mom and she told me that she had gone in my room and moved the doll, but later admitted that she lied to stop my hysterics. We hid the blasted thing, but it would reemerge every couple of years. I think it’s funny now, but I still wonder.

— glitzydirt

3. “Following The Pony”

7-8 years old me visited my grandparents in the countryside. According to my grandmother, she woke up in the middle of the night to her cows’ abnormal mooing, went outside to check and saw me walking into the fish pond. I did not wake up upon entering the water, she barely pulled me out of the water before I fell into the deep part of the pond. I was shaking uncontrollably, she had to carry me inside, it took half an hour to wake me up. When asked what happened, apparently half-conscious me answered: “I was following the pony.”

— Miutan213

4. A Remnant In The Office Building

When I was in high school, to earn extra money, I went and cleaned my dad’s boss’ office building on the weekends. Most of the time it was just me in there. Occasionally, someone would be in there working. It was never full though. Usually, if anyone was there, it was this one dude. I still don’t know what he did there. But, his office was WAY in the back of the building, almost in what I would call a closet. This was a construction company, and they had this big office with a giant table in it where they could spread out blueprints and go over them together. This guy’s office was in a closet behind this office. I worked there for years, and as I did, I kinda got to know this guy. I eventually bought myself a jeep wrangler when I turned 16, and he was a jeep guy himself, so we would always BS about jeep stuff. Honestly a really cool dude. The one thing that always stuck out to me about this guy, is he had this “tick”… Nothing weird, but noticeable. When he was standing and talking to you, he always stood with his left side facing you, with his left hand in his pocket and he would jingle his change in his pocket…

Well, the guy eventually died in the office one day. Not while I was there, during the work week. I remember my dad telling me about it and offering to let me go to the funeral, which I did.

A few weeks later, I’m in there cleaning. I’m not in the blueprint room, but in a room across the hall and I hear the front door open. They had a sensor on the door that made a loud “DING” noise when someone opened it. So, I heard “DING!” and could hear footsteps walking in. So, I’m sitting at this desk, dusting all this person’s nick-nacks and I hear that guy’s voice say “Hey, Gibby, how’s the jeep runnin?”. I’m kinda shocked and just staring at this person in the doorway, left side facing me, and jingling change in his pocket. I’m pretty much frozen in the chair just staring at him, and he kinda laughs a little. It seemed like he was about to walk away, and I kinda shuddered a second once everything registered in my brain. So, I blinked and when I looked back at the door, he was gone. I walked around the entire office and no one was there.

From that day on, anytime I went into his office, I said out loud “Hey, <name>. Wish you could see what I’ve done with the jeep” or something else like that. Always felt like he was in there still.

Dad has since retired from work, and I don’t get to go up to that office anymore. But, on the off chance I do, I like to walk in that office (it’s their gym now) and say hello.

— greatwhitegibby

5. Reflection In The Window

Working on a school report late at night in my ground-level bedroom. Glance up and stare at my reflection in the glass of the window. Realize it’s not my reflection. That someone is actually staring in at me, watching me from outside the house. Shudder. Still gives me chills.

— spindlemaker

6. Men In Ski Masks Stop At The Convenience Store

Back in 1984, the year I graduated high school, I took a job working the overnight shift at a convenience store in my hometown in rural Ohio. The town was/is a tiny place, less than 2,000 people, three stoplights (and, if you’re standing at any of them, you can always see the other two/lol), and the place that hired me had only begun staying open overnights a few weeks earlier. So, most nights, I would only see a handful of customers. Other nights, less.

About two months in, I was sitting behind the counter around three in the morning, reading a newspaper when a giant Cadillac came tearing into the parking lot and screeched to a halt. The driver slammed the car into park and, to my horror, all four doors popped open and out of each of them emerged men in ski masks. In an instant, they had whipped open the door of the store and entered. Three of the four fanned out and began to sweep through the store, the fourth staying by the counter.

Get this, nobody spoke. They moved in silence. After just a couple of seconds, one of the men pointed to the dummy security camera hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the store (and, when I say “dummy,” I mean DUMMY. It was fluorescent orange with six, count ’em, SIX lenses pointing in all directions. It could not have possibly looked faker), shook his head, and then all four of them shot back out the front door, dove back into the Cadillac, and tore out of the parking lot. How I didn’t absolutely shit my pants, I will never know.

So, I stand behind the counter for a couple of minutes, shaking while feeling tears of terror and relief running down my cheeks and then walk outside. Standing in the fresh air, with the town back to being so quiet I could hear the stoplight up the street clicking through its cycle, I seriously began to wonder if I’d hallucinated the entire thing. The juxtaposition of the explosion of activity and terror, immediately followed by a return to an almost dead quiet, finally gave me the giggles and I was soon doubled over laughing at the incongruity of the moment.

Finally, I stood up straight, stretched my arms and said out loud “Well, if you’re up there, thank you, God” and turned to walk back into the store. At that very moment, the same car came tearing back past the store, shot through the stoplight, and disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.

Mind you, all of this was in the service of earning $3.35 an hour/lol.

7. Grandpa Tries To Join In

I was about 16 and at this girl’s house for a hookup type thing. We start getting to 2nd base when she says “go away, grandpa!” Confused as hell, I ask her what she meant; she said her grandfather died in the room, in the bed we were doing shit on, and he “tried to join us.”

I noped the fuck outta horny grandpa’s house of horrors & never called her again.

— TheKearnival

8. Murder Party

I was at a party in high school. Nothing big, 3 girls, 4 guys, and our hosts step brother and step brothers girlfriend. Wasn’t really a “party” per se, we were just snacking and watching a movie.

Anyway, one moment the step brother gets up and walks to his room. Our host follows out of the room then comes back saying we need to leave.

Apparently, the step brother grabbed his gun and told our host that if we didn’t leave he was going to kill us all.

It was literally insane. He seemed like a regular dude, and I don’t think anyone detected anything wrong. It was scary to see a total 180 like that. Also, the fact that he was unstable and was armed.

— DudeStahp

9. Out past Curfew

One night, my buddies and I were going for a midnight walk around the roads by the house we were staying at. Since we were under 18, we could have gotten in trouble for being out past curfew, so we would hide behind trees or whatever when a car came by.

Well, my one friend said “Why are you guys hiding, no one is going to care or do anything!” Well, the next vehicle that passes, everyone hides behind something but him, to prove a point.

Shortly after that, the same vehicle, a red pickup truck, turns around up the road and heads back in our direction. This time, we all hid and noticed it was the same truck.

We figured they made a wrong turn or something, but nope. Every few minutes, the truck would pass by us as we hid (while we attempted to make it back to the house, about a half-mile walk), trying to find us. At one point, guys got out of their truck with flashlights and were searching around the woods/shrubs for us, but we were about 100 yards away from them.

Eventually, we got back to the house, but they still drove up and down the road looking a few more times. Whether they were trying to scare some random kids, or something worse, I’m not sure.

— aggressive_napkins

10. Blue Myst Road

There is a road near where I live that is famous for paranormal activity. It’s called Blue Myst Road , and its name is very accurate. At night, no matter the weather, there is what appears to be a thick blue fog moving along the ground. I’ve never actually seen anything personally, but we did hear muffled voices and what sounded like footsteps in the dense tree line right next to us. We tucked tail and took off.

— Local5Sparky

11. Not The Pizza Delivery Guy

I live in an apartment with 6 of my girlfriends. One day, all of my roommates went to a concert except for me and one other. We went to pick them up, got home around 11 PM, and ordered pizza. About 20 mins after ordering I hear a knock at the door, and I assume it’s the pizza being delivered. Instead, it’s this random man I’ve never seen before, telling me that he watched us get out of the car and would like to come in to talk to us as we are all beautiful…. Keep in mind it is 11:30 at night on a SUNDAY. He started to angle his body closer to the door, so then my roommate’s boyfriend came to the door where he was visibly shocked, uncomfortable and started to fidget. After telling him to fuck off, we realized he followed us home from the concert.

Being a woman can suck sometimes.

— TheFirstNoel_

12. “Why WOn’t You Go To Sleep?”

I was laying in bed trying to get my daughter to go to sleep and she was refusing to.

As I was getting more annoyed with her I asked: “Why won’t you go to sleep?” Her response was “Because those two people are watching us.” and pointed to the corner of the room where no one was stood (we were alone in the house).

Immediately picked her up and spent the night asleep downstairs.

— Custard-donut

13. Babysitting

I was babysitting this little kid, and we decided to go on a walk. We saw this creepy-looking abandoned house down the street. The windows were all smashed. The kid pointed up at the house and asked me, “Why is that man staring at us?” I said “What man?” He said, “Don’t you see him? He’s inside the house.” I just got really freaked out and said that we should go back home. We practically ran back to his house.

— VirtualEyeroll

14. Psych Meds Create A Hell On Earth

Visual hallucinations brought on by the wrong combo of psych meds gave me by far the scariest and most unsettling experiences of my life. The unsettling part was losing my reading comprehension skills. I’d read a comment on the discussion board I was frequenting at the time and it could say something as benign as, “I had a lovely breakfast have a great day” and I’d read it as “AbortRetryImplode you’re a failure. You should die.” So I’d write this angry response ripping the person a new one and then I’d get these sometimes apologetic sometimes “wtf is wrong with you?” responses in my inbox and I’d be totally confused.

The scariest was looking in the mirror and realizing I looked evil. I wouldn’t say demonic…but the way I was smiling and my eyes. I looked so evil it was terrifying. Kind of like something else had control of my face and I was seeing me, but not me? I know it probably doesn’t make sense but it scared the shit out of me.

— AbortRetryImplode

15. A Soft, Low Humming

Let me preface by saying I have only told this story to three or four people my entire life, and none of them believed me. I am aware I will sound crazy, but I swear to you this 100% happened to me when I was about 13 years old. Yes, I am sure I was not dreaming. No, we did not have a gas leak.

When I was about 13 years old, I was having trouble sleeping (it was probably 1 am or thereabouts). I was restless, tossing and turning, the whole bit. Well, I had almost given up and was just staring blankly at the wall next to my bedroom door, when the door begins to open, slowly.

Now, we had a cat at this time so the door not being properly closed and then pushed open by a feline friend would not have been outside of the norm, so at this point, I’m still calm. But then I take a look into the opening gap between the door and the frame.

Through the gap is a man in a black coat of some kind, with a white mask over his face, who is humming very soft and low. I immediately gasp (trying not to scream) and pull the covers over my face. My heart is racing and I’m listening for anything—any little movement. I don’t hear anything but I begin to hear that humming again and through my blanket make out a soft, amber light.

I decide this change may signal more immediate danger, so I summon all my courage and pull the covers down off my face— he’s gone. I look around the room and the man is no longer there. From outside, however, I see that same amber light. I walk, slowly, tensely over to the window and peer out.

Hanging in the air, at the same level as my second-floor bedroom window is a little orb of amber light which, although featureless makes a bounce-like motion that I (and I understand this sounds crazy) took to mean as it acknowledging me. It then moved through the air toward the tree line in back of our house and disappeared.

I still wonder what it is I saw.

— MountainDewMeNow

16. The Uncle’s Friend

My husband and I moved away so he could finish his degree at a more reputable university. His uncle happens to live in the same town as the school. We would hang out with his uncle and grill out, watch movies and play his really nice instruments. Really nice guy overall and someone two broke college aged kids could lean on if needed in a town where we knew no one.

His uncle’s friend started coming to some of our little shin-digs. All was well with his uncle’s friend, except for a few flirtatious comments, which I just shrugged off. He was about 20 years older than me, I was a girl in my early 20’s, I thought maybe it was his personality.

I was working in property management and the friend told me he was looking for a new apartment. Seeing a business opportunity and a chance to help a family friend, I gave him my business card.

About a week later, his uncle’s friend comes into my office. I was happy to see him assuming he was looking for an apartment. Nope. He proceeds to hand me a three-page typed letter which is folded and tells me “This is probably the last time you will ever see me.” He turned around and left. No explanation, so I read the letter.

The letter basically declared his love for me and stated his intentions to ‘win me over’. It said something along the lines of him beating my husband in karate. Also, he went on about how the men in my husband’s family are basically damaged and it wouldn’t work between my husband and I. He said it was a warning. It was a deranged rambling from a man I encountered maybe four times in my life.

Startled at my desk, I told my manager who I was pretty close with so he was aware of the situation. That afternoon my husband and I went to the police station to put the letter ‘on file’. Luckily I’ve never encountered that guy again, but now I think twice about handing out my business cards.

— ItsSmallsYall

17. Stalked By A Black Dog

I moved into a new place in a new country.

After a night at the pub, I got the feeling I was being followed. Turned around – huge black dog with red eyes glaring at me. I ran home, locked the doors.

Then I started getting nightmares about the thing hunting me down. And every time I was out at night, it was getting closer and closer…

I put it down to the stress of moving.

Well, until a friend of mine stayed the night to ease my mind. I found her awake at 3 am looking out the window, dog outside, she was pale as a sheet. She just whispered, “That’s a fucking hellhound.”

In the morning, she ran out of my house, came back a few hours later with this awful smelling powder, and hung it up in pouches around the room, with an extra pouch for me to carry.

Never seen the dog again. Never had a nightmare about it since.

— YrowyMcYrowface

18. A Plastic-Faced Doll

When my mom was a kid, she had this horrible stuffed clown with a plastic face. I searched the internet and found this image , which is pretty spot on.

Anyway, one day we (my brothers and I) brought it home from my grandparent’s house. Not sure why. We hated the thing. It was obviously creepy as all hell.

Once it was home, it would move from where we put it. You would leave it on the chair, leave the room, come back it would be on the bed.

We decided to take it and put it in a box and put weights on top of the box. We came back and it had moved the weights as the box and was sitting in the chair. This was in the basement so no one would have been able to get to it without going down the stairs, which is the way we exited and entered.

We then left the room again with it on the chair. Came back and it was outside the house, staring into the basement window. There is no way it could have got out the window (didn’t open) or past us on the stairs.

We then gave it a book and a pen and left the room. It wrote on the front of the book (it was a kids book about Houdini, I’ll never forget it) the name “Mike Stapher” in almost movie style scratchy scrawls writing.

Most horrifying thing I’ve ever encountered.

We told my parents and they destroyed it.

19. Beaten By A Murderer

Scary in the moment, scarier after.

Was hanging out in a park drinking with some friends and these random 3 guys come by and start chatting with us. Mainly me. (only guy)

I offer them my alcohol as I don’t want it. We chat more. They start walking away and I’m in mid conversation with a guy, so I walk with them a bit and the guy turns me to and says “What are you gonna do?” before I knew it, they had met up with other guys behind me and there’s 6 guys around me, punching and pushing. I get knocked in my face pretty good and go down. They continue kicking and walk away.

I get up furious and break an empty bottle and they start yelling things, while the girls realize what just happened and surround me and bring me to the closest guys house.

They come back with 20+ people, girls, guys, and we had already called them cops. Cops catch about 5, 2 of the main guys I was talking to. Turns out they had knives on them. Scary/lucky enough nothing worse happened to me except a black eye and a few cuts.

A year later one of the guys goes to prison for murder. Sent a chill down my spine that I almost got in a fight, rather than a beat down, with a murderer.

— throwyoworkaway

20. That Nightmare That Was Real

My cousin was staying at or house for a weekend. My sister was good friends with her and they were set to sleep in the basement together. Me, being the younger sister, desperately wanted to stay down there with them. I fell asleep and had the most terrifying and realistic nightmare of my life. They went into the bathroom and came out as monsters who told me I had to fall asleep or they were going to eat me. For YEARS I thought I had actually had that nightmare and it still scared me to think about. Last year my sister admitted to actually doing that and I found out it wasn’t a nightmare but they tortured me like that for real!

— vietnam_da_licious

21. “It Used To Be”

This actually happened to my brother 2 weeks ago in the house we grew up in.

So, my brother still lives there with my grandma. Brothers room is in the basement. In the living room, there is a huge glass sliding door that opens onto our deck, with a large shared courtyard behind it. At about 2 am, my brother hears this door slide open. He is still up gaming or whatever. He yells, “HELLO?” and hears a man’s voice, say “hello” back, very calmly. Scared, he yells “WHO IS THIS” and the man calmly replies, “John”. “Well John, this isn’t your house so you better leave” and John replies, “well it used to be” as he walks towards the kitchen and opens the fridge ( my brother assumes from the noises he hears).

Scared, my brother stays downstairs and calls the police. It takes the police over 30 minutes to respond (if you can believe that!) and by the time they get there, there is no man in the house or any trace of it.

My Grandma has owned that house for 25 years.

22. Green Eyes, Watching

As a child my dad was a drunk. One night my dad an I alone camping in a yurt went 4-wheeling at midnight. He was wasted. It was a jacked up old Ford Ranger, being a pretty light truck, when my dad hit the edge of the cliff on our way back, it was teetering on edge. My dad told me to get out, I was maybe 5-6 years old. Truck was stuck so we walked back to camp, it was about 2 miles away. Halfway there my feet got tired so my dad put me on his shoulders, looking behind him. I stared into the green eyes of a giant mountain lion following us. The increase in stature scared him off, and I watched him book it up the mountain. Haunts me to this day.

23. Something In The Corner Of Your Eye

I worked in a private club at the top of a big hotel. I came in one day and our linens had just been delivered. And all of our linen bags reeked like gasoline. Everyone thought it was strange. It was kind of a slow night and I was working on the bar side. It has really long hallways. All night long I kept seeing flashes of a man out of the corner of my eye. When I was bringing dishes back to the kitchen it felt like someone was walking behind me. I thought I was just being paranoid, there were rumors of it being haunted and it wasn’t the first time I saw something weird. After we closed I was setting up the bar for the next days lunch and my coworker came over to talk to me. He mentioned that he kept seeing a man out of the corner of his eye and felt like someone was standing behind him most of the night. I hadn’t said anything to anyone about it until he brought it up. It freaked us both out so we worked together the rest of the night. Turns out that over the weekend the linen company we used had a truck flip and catch on fire and the driver got ejected and died. They brought us the bags and linens from his truck without having re-washed them first. We found out the next day why the linen bags smelled.

— roraverse

24. Nearly Killed By Mexican Cartels

My dad used to work at an Oxxo, when I was like 9. It’s a gas station in Mexico. He worked night shifts and the stores stayed open 24/7. Night time in Mexico is when it gets bad and when everybody goes inside and it is when all the cartels and Marines come out and if they run into each other there’s a shootout that’s for sure going to happen.

Well, one night at about 2 AM, three trucks pulled up and everybody got out, about 14 men in body armor, Gloves, boots, black cargo pants, leaving all of their doors open blasting narco corridos. It was the Zeta cartel. I remember being scared shit less and our dad told us to just stay quiet. I thought we were gonna take my brother since they would kidnap young guys and send them to work with them. And thought my dad was gonna have a gun pointed at him since he was the one behind the register.

Some of the men waited outside with their m-16s and about 6 walked in with no noticable weapons and bought a bunch of chips, bread, beer, drinks, sodas, candy. I remember expecting for them to walk out with all of the stuff without paying but they paid for it all and let my dad keep the change. My brother and I then helped them put the bags in their trucks for some reason, and when we did we set them on top of their grenades, all types of rifles and pistols. Then they just got back in and drove off. Oh and there was a guard that worked there at some point and my bro and I were cool with him, and sometimes we would chill outside and the guard would mess with the payphones that were against the stores wall and pretend to flirt with the operator lady. Well one day he did that while some cartel members were there and they thought he was calling the people above him to tell them that the cartel was there, so they snatched him up and we never heard of him again.

— bloodshotredd

25. White Faces In The Snow

I’ve told this before and it always gets buried. We were driving in the mountains in Colorado with some friends on our way to a ski lodge in Telluride. On the way to our hotel we were driving up and down these winding roads deep deep in the mountains which seemed like forever. It was pitch black outside and around 3 AM and we had to at least be 45ish minutes from the nearest town, and it was cold, like see your own breath below 10 degrees freezing cold.

As we were driving along, my friends and I all see four figures walking on the road coming towards us. We all get weird feelings inside but I did especially, and the hair on my neck stood up. Something didn’t seem right. We were way too far away from a town and it was wayyy too cold for hitch hikers or hikers of any sort. We get closer and closer and as we got right next to these “people” we slow down and we realized that they had NO Faces!

Four people walking in the dead of the night wearing black hoods and cape like gowns and they literally had no faces. And by no faces I mean like no eyes, mouth, ears, just blank white pale faces. I’m familiar with ski masks and these were not ski masks. They had hoods on like something from Scream almost. My friends and I all freaked the fuck out speeding away, and my toughest manliest friend of us all was crying, mind you he was in his late 20s. It was the most afraid I’ve ever been and it still scares me thinking about and typing out. No idea what they were.

— Proffesor

26. A Shriek In The Night

Coming back home from my deployment, I stayed at my parents house for a few weeks while my late grandmother, who was suffering from severe dementia stayed in the room adjacent from mine. it was around 2AM when I’m awoken by a blood curdling shriek that lasted for what felt like an eternity, but must’ve actually been about 30 seconds in just one breath. It turns out she was sleepwalking, tried to enter my room and slammed herself into the baby gate we had for my puppy. I honestly don’t know what was more terrifying, hearing that shriek suddenly in the dead of night, or flicking on the dim ceiling lights and seeing her stare at me, face was decrepit, mouth agape and her eyes wide as can be. It makes my blood run cold every time I think about it.

About the author

Eric Redding

More From Thought Catalog

Radiant Resilience: Navigating Beauty With Grace During A Crohn’s Flare-Up

Where To Watch ‘Independence Day’ This 4th Of July

I Refuse To Marry Anyone Unless These Are Our Vows

If You’re A Classic ENTJ, You’ll Relate To These 5 Personality Quirks

5 Unforgettable Movies Celebrating Their 25th Anniversary This July — And Where To Stream Them

What ‘Perfect Match’ Says About Dating in 2024

• Skip to right header navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Empathy and Understanding: How the TED Talk on the Danger of a Single Story Reshapes Perspectives

November 7, 2023 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   Leave a Comment

Sharing is caring!

Being white, growing up in America, having money for food, laughing with friends and family without the fear of violence, I was distant and separate from so many of the hardships and horrors of the world around me.  My suburb felt worlds-away from the city.  My desire for the newest toy while my old ones gathered dust seems so stupid now in retrospect when I know there are people in the world who are resigned to the fact they don’t have fresh water, peace in the streets, or schools to teach them. I am thankful, then, that I learned somewhere along the way that my story is not everyone’s story . I, thankfully, learned that there is, in fact, the danger of a single story .

The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk: Key insights and takeaways

“The Danger of a Single Story” TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie challenges stereotypes and biases by sharing personal anecdotes and experiences that highlight the power of empathy. 

If you haven’t seen it–and if you haven’t, please do, and share it with your students while you’re at it–the danger of a single story’s main idea is about the negative impact of reducing complex realities to a single narrative .

Adichie shares personal experiences of how stereotypes and limited perspectives can lead to misunderstanding and perpetuate cultural biases. She advocates for embracing diverse stories to gain a more comprehensive understanding of individuals and cultures, fostering empathy and breaking down stereotypes.

The talk highlights the importance of recognizing and challenging single stories to promote a more inclusive and nuanced worldview . 

Her talk concludes with this thought, in her words: “[W]hen we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.”  

The impact of a single story on individuals and communities

So how do we get to the “paradise” that Adichie envisions?   This will make the hearts of English and Language Arts teachers sing: by reading and sharing stories .  Intrinsically, we know the value of stories.  It’s why we cuddle up with good books in front of fireplaces to feel warmth in body and soul.  It’s why we seek out poems when we are in love.  It’s why we binge-watch shows that make us laugh or cry, shiver or shout.  

As Adichie says, “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.”  

In short, there’s power in stories, and the more stories we know, the more we know.  Stories can help us understand ourselves, yes, but they can do more than that.  They can help us understand other individuals and communities whose experiences, feelings, and lives are different from ours. 

Reshaping perspectives through empathy and understanding

An analysis of the danger of a single story reveals the importance of growing empathy and understanding, not limiting our understanding (or our communicating) to a single story .  Adichie contends that if we “create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.”  

It’s true: our narratives shape our experiences, our feelings, our outlooks, our everything . 

Think of students in the classroom, for example.  If a student fails a test, the student might give in to a narrative of failure focusing only on mistakes or missed opportunities, which can significantly impact how the student sees himself/herself/themselves. This negative self-talk might lead the student to perceive himself/herself/themselves as incapable or unworthy of success.

On the other hand, if this student reframes his/her/their narrative and acknowledges the challenges that have been overcome, the lessons learned from failures, and strengths, the student is more likely to see himself/herself/themselves as resilient and capable of growth. 

In summary, the narrative people construct about their experiences plays a crucial role in shaping their self-perception, influencing their confidence, motivation, and overall well-being. The stories we tell ourselves have a profound impact on our self-image and can either empower or limit our potential.  

So the more stories we read, the greater we can empathize and understand ourselves and others.

Practical ways to cultivate empathy and understanding in the classroom

So how can educators help students grow their empathy and understanding?   Perhaps we can give them opportunities to share their stories and personal anecdotes and experiences while reading and experiencing the stories of others. 

Here are some classroom-ready ideas to help us do so:

• Host frequent storytelling workshops.   Set up dedicated storytelling workshops where students can learn the art of crafting and sharing their stories. Provide them with prompts or themes to explore, encouraging them to reflect on personal experiences, challenges, and successes. Facilitate discussions on different storytelling techniques, such as using vivid details, incorporating emotions, and structuring narratives. This not only helps students express themselves but also fosters a sense of community as they listen to and learn from each other’s stories.
• Have students design multimedia presentations.  Allow students to share their stories through multimedia presentations. This could include creating digital presentations, short films, podcasts, or even visual arts projects. Providing a variety of mediums allows students with different strengths and preferences to express themselves in ways that feel most comfortable to them. It also adds an engaging and dynamic element to the storytelling process, making it more accessible and enjoyable for the entire class.
• Facilitate cultural exchange sessions.  Design sessions where students can share their cultural backgrounds, traditions, and unique experiences. This could involve inviting students to bring in artifacts, share traditional foods, or even demonstrate cultural practices. Encourage open discussions about the significance of these cultural elements in their lives. This not only allows students to share their personal stories but also promotes a deeper understanding and appreciation of diversity within the classroom. It creates an environment where students learn from each other’s experiences, fostering empathy and a sense of belonging.
• How does a single story contribute to the formation of stereotypes?
• In what ways can a single story influence our perceptions of other cultures?
• How do Adichie’s personal experiences illustrate the dangers of a single story?

Sharing stories–promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our experiences and stories are different because we are all different.  In schools lately, we hear much being said about DEI–diversity, equity, and inclusion .  We ask how we can make schools more fair, more equitable.  Perhaps stories can help us do just that.

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

Incorporating Media Analysis in English Language Arts Instruction

How to Write a Descriptive Essay: Creating a Vivid Picture with Words

The Power of Book Tasting in the Classroom

20 Short Stories Students Will Read Gladly

6 Fun Book Project Ideas

Tailoring Your English Curriculum to Diverse Learning Styles

Teacher Toolbox: Creative & Effective Measures of Academic Progress for the Classroom

10 Most Effective Teaching Strategies for English Teachers

Beyond Persuasion: Unlocking the Nuances of the AP Lang Argument Essay

Book List: Nonfiction Texts to Engage High School Students

12 Tips for Generating Writing Prompts for Writing Using AI

31 Informational Texts for High School Students

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons

Margin Size

• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

6.1: The Experience Essay – Using Description and Narration

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 87152

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

  Writing an Experience Essay

An experience essay (usually termed a personal essay) is something that may be familiar to you already. Perhaps you might have done one in your prior education or in applying to colleges. There are a myriad of topics you can cover, as pretty much any experience(s) in your life are allowed, but you should make your choice wisely. Try to pick something that stands out above the everyday and/or obvious. For instance, do not pick a morning where you woke up, ate cereal, and went to work. It is technically a personal experience, as it covers some moment in your life, but it does not hold the weight I’m looking for and will fall short once I start asking you to explore the deeper meaning of your experience. That said, you need not pick something that is the worst day in your life, nor moments that were so tragic/overwhelming that you do not want to go back to those times. Should you opt to go that route, you will find that they work nicely toward the ultimate goal of this unit, which is to illustrate some fairly significant moment in your life. Whatever you choose, it’s still unclear as to what makes a robust, well rounded, and well thought out experience essay. The following are writing approaches that will help you create your essay.

Description

• Seek to describe (using the 5 senses)
• Flesh out the paper with details (show your experience)
• Why description?  Gives readers something to relate to…your readers didn’t experience what you did, so put them in your shoes/eyes
• Two types of description – objective and subjective

↓                      ↓

(factual)         (personal)

• Adjectives are used often, but metaphors and similes are also common
• Use vivid language to show rather than tell…let your reader “see” the story
• Make dynamic characters (ones who change from beginning to end)
• Let the details drive the action rather than simply rushing through the experience
• Show rather than tell how and why the experience is important/impactful
• Chopping up time is sometimes more interesting than chronological storytelling
• Ensure the ordering of events is coherent and transitions exist if it’s chopped up
• Consider your audience…what will readers need to understand your experience?
• Consider your purpose…what do you want the reader to understand about you?

For more in-depth notes, sample essays, and helpful videos for both of these rhetorical modes, please click here for description and here for narration .

• The Experience Essay - Using Description and Narration. Authored by : Jason Brown. Provided by : Herkimer College. Project : AtD OER Course. License : CC BY: Attribution

Pursuit Academy

by Pursuit English

Being Involved in a Dangerous Situation

By: Andrew – ACS

The full moon could be seen in the puddles that night as cats frolicked around the rooftops. It was a lonely night for me as detention had forced me to stay in school until the evening. I was all alone, and I let out a sigh of relief as I was finally able to go back home. The sound of cars as they went by hid my rumbling stomach while my mind wandered towards the restaurants that stood tall on both sides of the street. It was then I heard someone scream for help in the alleyways.

As I was rushing towards the shrilling scream, I could see the visage of a tall man holding the arm of a woman. I felt like David before Goliath, forcing my legs and feet to stay firm. Adrenaline and panic rushed toward my roller-coaster heart, urging me to be the hero that the woman needed me to be. I then steeled myself, stood on my toes to make myself taller, and let out a squeak that I hoped was menacing enough for the leviathan.

“Hey! Release that person!”, my voice filled the dark alleyway as the assailant glanced towards me. My shadow seemed very large since the moon was behind me, and the sudden change seemed to have shocked the mighty giant. The woman did not waste this chance as she quickly pulled out a small bottle from her bag and sprayed its content towards her captor. The man instinctively let the lady go and screamed in agony. She quickly ran out of the alleyway, and I followed her example by bolting out of the location without looking back.

We were running side-by-side for what felt like an eternity before we finally ran out of breath and stopped. We looked at each other and sighed in relief as we thought that we were safe from the criminal. I was about to introduce myself to her when all of a sudden I heard a familiar scream behind us. 

“Hey! Don’t you dare run again!” shouted the man while grasping his now-red face and heaving chest. He seemed to be out of breath, but so were we. Our legs instinctively turned to jelly as the giant marched with a certain doom towards us. 

We fell to the ground as the man stood tall before us. The courage that I had before in the alleyway seeped out of my system like water vapor as I looked at the furious face of the giant. He took out something from his jacket pocket that glimmered under the light of the moon. He then raised it upward, getting ready to stab one of us in the gut, when I heard a siren from afar. The brave criminal shifted his gaze, and fear crept on his face. He put the knife back to his pocket and ran back to where he belonged. 

The police came to us with his gun still in his hands as he watched the thug running away from afar. He gave us a hand, and we were back on our feet. He immediately reported this to dispatch, and said something about the serial killer being spotted on our location. 

“You’re very lucky tonight, please stay off the street and go back home immediately,” the police said, his face was rigid with caution. He then started to jog toward the direction where the infamous fugitive went to. I then know why his face looked so familiar, as I had been looking at his wanted poster on TV for the past few months. The woman and I exchanged looks, grateful that we still got to breathe at the end of the day.

Share this:

Leave a reply cancel reply, discover more from pursuit academy.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, using personal experiences in college essays.

Hey everyone, just wondering how much I should focus on personal stories or experiences in my college essays. Got any examples of personal essays that really stood out and got someone accepted to a top school?

When it comes to writing college essays, incorporating personal stories and experiences can be incredibly effective in highlighting your unique qualities and demonstrating your personality and perspective.

Admissions officers want to get to know the person behind the application, so it's essential that you showcase elements of your life that shaped who you are today. Here are a few tips on how to effectively use personal experiences in your college essays:

1. Focus on a meaningful event: Choose an experience or situation that left a significant impact on you. This could be a specific challenge you faced, a time when you grew personally, or an instance when you demonstrated tremendous resilience.

2. Reflect on your growth: It's crucial to showcase not only the experience itself but also how you've grown, changed, or learned from it. Reflect on the lessons you took away from the event and how they've influenced your life or mindset.

3. Be authentic: Don't feel pressured to write about something extravagant or dramatic. Sometimes, the most meaningful experiences come from everyday moments, so it's essential to stay true to your personal narrative.

4. Show, don't tell: When describing your personal experience, paint a vivid picture for the reader by using descriptive language and including specific details. This will make your story more engaging and help the reader feel more connected to your narrative.

One well-known example of an effective personal essay comes from a student who was admitted to Stanford University. The essay featured an engaging story about the student's love for Costco stores. Rather than just stating their fascination with Costco, the applicant wove an entertaining narrative detailing their visits to the store and connected the experience to their curiosity and desire to learn.

The essay was successful because it showcased the student's unique perspective, genuine enthusiasm, and relatability through an otherwise mundane experience. By focusing on a personal anecdote and connecting it to their own intellectual curiosity, the applicant was able to convey their authentic personality and stand out from the competition.

To sum up, using personal experiences in your college essays can be an effective way to demonstrate your personality, growth, and unique perspective. Make sure to focus on a meaningful event, reflect on your growth, be authentic, and show rather than tell to craft a memorable and engaging essay.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Experience Essay

Experience essay generator.

People love talking about their experiences with their family, friends, and loved ones. You can use your love for that to practice and enhance your essay writing skills. Yes, you have read it right. It is like hitting two birds with one stone. Tell your story by composing an experience essay.

10+ Experience Essay Examples

1. research experience essay.

Size: 732 KB

2. Formal Experience Essay

Size: 209 KB

3. Experience of Life Essay

Size: 197 KB

4. Academic Personal Experience Essay

Size: 188 KB

5. COVID-19 Experience Essay

Size: 76 KB

6. Work Experience Essay

Size: 75 KB

7. Post Graduation Experience Essay

Size: 41 KB

8. Previous Research Experience Essay

Size: 28 KB

9. Sample Experience Essay

Size: 44 KB

10. Coaching Experience Essay

Size: 19 KB

11. College Experience Essay

Size: 31 KB

What Is an Experience Essay?

An experience essay is a composition that requires you to narrate an event that you have personally experienced. It is a type of academic essay that most high school, colleges, and post-graduation studies assign their students to write to improve their writing. Most scholarship applications also require you to write this essay. In addition, some people devise this as a part of their resume when applying for work. 

How to Compose a Riveting Experience Essay

Composing various literature essays will also require you to apply different skills. In that sense, this piece of writing will test your storytelling skills. How do you effectively narrate a story on a paper? You can discover that as you go through the process of learning how to devise this document.

1. Choose an Unforgettable Memory

In selecting an experience to tell, you should choose those experiences that considerably impacted your personal life. It can be either be a positive or a negative experience. For example, you can write about your best day or the worst experience you had. Most people would opt for unique topics, but that is not a requirement. The important thing is how to make your unforgettable experience memorable for your readers. 

2. Arrange the Sequence of Events  

Sometimes when people share something, they often tell another story in between and then go back to their original topic. That’s a no-no in writing your experience essay. It needs to be carefully structured. That said, you need to arrange it by properly sequencing the events. There are available blank outline templates online to help you with this task.

3. Devise an Engrossing Introductory Paragraph

An impressive introduction should contain a compelling hook and a powerful thesis statement . The first paragraph of your essay can be a make or break factor for your entire writing. People often start judging the quality of your composition after reading your introductory paragraph. It sets the vibe and gives them the first impression. It is essential to pay a lot of attention to this segment.

4. Craft a Rousing Statement for Your Conclusion

Your conclusion paragraph should provide the gist and the purpose of your experience essay. In this last part, you should restate your thesis statement and summarize the underlying message of your writing. It should include a personal reflection regarding what that particular event made you learn about yourself. A conclusion for an essay should be powerful enough to rouse the emotions of your readers.

How should you describe an experience in your essay?

Writing a personal experience essay does not only require you to provide the order of events that happened in your experience. Instead, you should include describing what you are thinking and feeling at that moment. In addition, you should also mention the activities that are also happening during your experiences. Don’t forget to include the reactions of the people involved in your story.

What are good topics for an experience essay?

One of the most important factors to consider in choosing your topic is the thematic statement it presents. Do you want to write about love, friendship, or family? You can also choose to compose about the defining moments of your life. Such as the time you faced your greatest fears or the day you met your best friend.

What makes an experience essay different from a narrative essay?

An experience essay and a narrative essay are mostly similar. Both of these writings focus on narrating an experience of the writer. Despite that, there is something that sets them apart from each other. An experience essay focuses more on an individual’s discovery about oneself. On the other hand, the latter aims to inform the readers of how the experience made the writer realize things. Particularly the lessons regarding another person or an issue.

The act of composing this type of essay is a formative experience. In the process of writing it, you can learn lessons about yourself as well as on writing essays. Your life experiences are full of lessons. Ensure to capture the message and convey it to your readers. Secure that employment or that award certificate by crafting your experience essay thoroughly.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write an Experience Essay on your first day at school

Discuss a travel experience that changed your perspective in an Experience Essay

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Life Experiences — Personal Experience

Personal Experience Essays

Personal experiences are the threads that weave the fabric of our lives. Writing a personal experience essay isn't just about storytelling; it's about finding meaning, connecting with others, and leaving your mark on the world. So, why should you write an essay about your personal experiences? Let's explore the importance together! 🌟

Personal Experience Essay Topics 📝

Selecting the right essay topic is key to crafting a compelling narrative. Here's how to pick one:

Personal Experience Argumentative Essay 🤨

Argumentative essays based on personal experiences require you to defend a viewpoint or argument. Here are ten intriguing topics:

• 1. Argue for or against the idea that personal experiences are the most influential factors shaping an individual's personality.
• 2. Defend your perspective on whether overcoming adversity through personal experiences builds stronger character.
• 3. Debate the impact of personal experiences on shaping one's political beliefs and values.
• 4. Argue for the significance of sharing personal experiences in order to promote empathy and understanding among diverse communities.
• 5. Defend the idea that personal experiences play a crucial role in career development and decision-making.
• 6. Debate the ethical implications of sharing deeply personal experiences in the era of social media and oversharing.
• 7. Argue for the therapeutic benefits of writing about and reflecting on personal experiences.
• 8. Defend your perspective on whether personal experiences should be a central part of school curricula.
• 9. Debate the influence of personal experiences on an individual's approach to health and wellness.
• 10. Argue for or against the notion that personal experiences can serve as catalysts for social change and activism.

Personal Experience Cause and Effect Essay 🤯

Cause and effect essays based on personal experiences explore the reasons behind events and their consequences. Here are ten topics to consider:

• 1. Analyze the causes and effects of a life-changing personal experience on your academic or career choices.
• 2. Examine how personal experiences can lead to personal growth, increased self-awareness, and improved well-being.
• 3. Investigate the effects of travel experiences on personal perspectives and cultural understanding.
• 4. Analyze the causes and consequences of sharing personal experiences with others, including its impact on relationships.
• 5. Examine how personal experiences can influence one's hobbies, interests, and leisure activities.
• 6. Investigate the impact of a significant personal experience on your family dynamics and relationships.
• 7. Analyze the causes of personal transformation through exposure to diverse cultures and environments.
• 8. Examine how personal experiences can shape one's attitude toward risk-taking and adventure.
• 9. Investigate the effects of sharing personal experiences through writing, art, or storytelling on your personal well-being.
• 10. Analyze the causes and consequences of personal experiences that challenge societal norms and expectations.

Personal Experience Opinion Essay 😌

Opinion essays based on personal experiences allow you to express your subjective viewpoints. Here are ten topics to consider:

• 1. Share your opinion on the importance of documenting personal experiences for future generations.
• 2. Discuss your perspective on whether personal experiences should be kept private or shared openly.
• 3. Express your thoughts on how personal experiences have shaped your sense of identity and self-worth.
• 4. Debate the significance of personal experiences in fostering empathy and compassion among individuals and communities.
• 5. Share your views on the role of personal experiences in building resilience and coping with life's challenges.
• 6. Discuss the impact of personal experiences on your approach to decision-making and problem-solving.
• 7. Express your opinion on the therapeutic benefits of writing or talking about personal experiences.
• 8. Debate the influence of personal experiences on your sense of purpose and life goals.
• 9. Share your perspective on how personal experiences can inspire creativity and artistic expression.
• 10. Discuss your favorite personal experience and the lessons or insights it has provided.

Personal Experience Informative Essay 🧐

Informative essays based on personal experiences aim to educate readers. Here are ten informative topics to explore:

• 1. Provide an in-depth analysis of the impact of a specific personal experience on your career choices and aspirations.
• 2. Explore the therapeutic benefits of journaling and writing about personal experiences for mental health and well-being.
• 3. Investigate the history and significance of storytelling as a means of preserving personal experiences and cultural heritage.
• 4. Analyze the connection between personal experiences and the development of emotional intelligence.
• 5. Examine the influence of personal experiences on decision-making processes and risk assessment.
• 6. Investigate the role of personal experiences in shaping cultural perceptions and worldviews.
• 7. Provide insights into the art of crafting compelling narratives based on personal experiences.
• 8. Analyze the impact of personal experiences on an individual's resilience and ability to adapt to change.
• 9. Examine how personal experiences can serve as valuable life lessons and sources of wisdom.
• 10. Investigate the therapeutic benefits of group discussions and support networks for individuals sharing similar personal experiences.

Personal Experience Essay Example 📄

Personal experience thesis statement examples 📜.

Here are five examples of strong thesis statements for your personal experience essay:

• 1. "Through the lens of personal experiences, we uncover the profound impact that seemingly ordinary moments can have on our lives, reshaping our perspectives and guiding our journeys."
• 2. "Personal experiences serve as powerful mirrors reflecting our growth, resilience, and capacity to navigate life's challenges, ultimately shaping the narratives of our existence."
• 3. "The sharing of personal experiences is an act of vulnerability and courage, fostering connections, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the human condition."
• 4. "Our personal experiences are the brushstrokes on the canvas of our identity, influencing our choices, values, and the stories we tell ourselves and others."
• 5. "In exploring personal experiences, we embark on a journey of self-discovery, unlocking the untold stories that shape our uniqueness and enrich our shared human tapestry."

Personal Experience Essay Introduction Examples 🚀

Here are three captivating introduction paragraphs to kickstart your essay:

• 1. "Amid the chaos of everyday life, our personal experiences are the constellations that guide us, the moments that define us. As we embark on this essay journey into the depths of our own stories, we unravel the threads of our existence, each tale a testament to the power of the personal."
• 2. "Picture a canvas where the brushstrokes are the chapters of your life—a canvas waiting for you to paint your experiences, thoughts, and emotions. The personal experience essay is your opportunity to create a masterpiece that reflects the colors of your journey."
• 3. "In a world of noise and distractions, our personal experiences are the melodies that resonate within us. As we venture into the heart of this essay, we uncover the symphony of our lives—a composition of highs, lows, and the beauty in between."

Personal Experience Conclusion Examples 🌟

Conclude your essay with impact using these examples:

• 1. "As we close the chapter on this exploration of personal experiences, we are reminded that our stories are the threads that connect us all. The journey continues, and each experience, no matter how small, contributes to the tapestry of our shared humanity."
• 2. "In the final brushstroke of our personal experience essay, we recognize that our stories are not finite; they are ever-evolving, ever-inspiring. The canvas of life awaits, ready for us to create new narratives and continue shaping our destinies."
• 3. "As the echoes of our personal experiences linger, we stand at the intersection of past, present, and future. The essay's conclusion is but a pause in the symphony of our lives, with countless more notes to be played and stories to be written."

Best Moment of My Life

Celebrating moments: reflections on a birthday party, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Is a God Worthy of Worship’

An unforgettable experience in my life, my background: life story as a definition of you, personal experience that made me better than before, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Motivation Through Failure: My Life Experience

The role of memorable memories in our lives, the time my uncle died, the importance and role of hard work and efforts in your success, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

My Most Embarrassing Moment

Memories of happiness and accomplishments in my life, life experience that made me who i am, how i have learnt to appreciate people, the importance of positive people around you, a narrative about regrets in life, the influence of grandmother on my life, mistakes made and lessons learned, my experience in learning to read and write, personal writing: my childhood story, personal writing: experience at the mall, basketball court – my second home, the lessons i have learnt from my life experience, the best travel experience of my life - burma, changing my view of life, the beginning of my nightmare: first day of high school, a personal experience of a course of multicultural education, the lessons i’ve learned in middle school, shyness is not always a curse, relevant topics.

• Law of Life
• Why I Want To Be A Nurse
• Personal Growth and Development
• Life Changing Experience
• Volunteering
• Overcoming Obstacles
• Overcoming Challenges
• Childhood Memories

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Bibliography

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Free Essays
• Citation Generator

Narrative Essay About a Dangerous Situation

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

Narrative essay: racial profiling.

the other children dug into their punishment of dirt and sand and stared at the dug pit every day.…

Speak Andy Evans Monologue

That night, that one dreadful, horrible night. That night back in eighth grade, I was sexually assaulted by a high school student named Andy Evans. The memory of that night just keeps circling in my mind; I could not stop thinking about it, it affected my grades, my social life and even my relationship with my parents. It felt like he was taking over my entire life, I felt so helpless. There was drinking…

Figurative and Imagery Essay-How to Tell a True War Story

I am sitting by the fireplace and just thinking about life in general when memories from elementary school come flooding back. I am writing this letter to you, because I feel very guilty when thoughts of your son cross my mind. To this day I wish I knew better and stood up for your son when I needed to, because I could have saved an innocent life. Not trying to make excuses, but when I was in elementary school I knew nothing better, except the fact that, you go with the flow or else you become an outcast. I could still clearly remember the first day Matthew started going to my elementary school, and just because he looked different all of us decided he did not belong. He would come to the kids and ask them in such a nice and polite way if they wanted to play with him, and in response kids would say something nasty, no elementary kid should ever say. I remember boys throwing rocks at him during recess, and a bunch of girls standing by and laughing. Yes, I also did stand by and watched, but I never encouraged the boys on or laughed, because I was thought better by my parents. My parents tell me all the time no matter how the person you come in contact with acts, you show your best side to them, because at the end of the day were all the same and no one person is better than another. One day in particular, I remember Matthew needed to go to the bathroom during recess, and the immature boys decided to take advantage of this situation. They ran to the bathroom, and blocked him from going in. He begged so much, I can still hear his voice so clearly in my head to let him go. Not being able to hold it in any longer he did it his pants, and the situation became even worse. There…

Voices from the Foot of the Cross

Here is a series of monologues which can be used on their own or as part of a longer mediation on the cross and the response of several characters involved in the Good Friday story.…

Personal Narrative-The Hazardous Incident Of Hurricane Katrina

I was about four years old when everything went to chaos and destruction. But what three year old would feel frightened or afraid of ever breath, not knowing if it was their last. As a child, I was ignorant and naive to what was happening around me in the world. I didn’t know that the city surrounding me, would soon be drowned and submerged in the legendary Hurricane Katrina.Though I was only four and couldn't recall many details of the catastrophic event, my mother remembered everything. We had heard two weeks prior ahead of time what was to come, however my mother having always been a strong-willed woman was determined not to leave despite the attempts my grandparents and father made for her to evacuate New Orleans with me and leave.Yet,…

Narrative Essay About 9/11

September 9, 2001 is a blood-curdling and mournful day in American history, especially for New Yorkers. September 9th was the day Al-Qeada attacked American civilians by hijacking 4 airplanes. Two of the airplanes crashed into the twin towers, one crashed into the side of the pentagon, and the last one crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. On this dreadful day thousands of Americans lost their lives. My mother and stepfather have completely different experiences during 9/11 however, that day did affect them as a whole.…

High School Shooting Narrative

When I was in fifth grade (12years old) I was at a friend's house for the first time. Me and her were playing in the basement, her brother (17years old)and his friend were on the other side of the room playing video games while me and her were throwing back and forth a big yoga ball. Me and her are throwing back and forth and I miss it, before I can grab it, it hits her brothers Lego Death Star. I look up at her and all I see is fear, she grabs my arm and screams to run. We make it up the first flight of stairs but at the top of the second flight is a very narrow hallway and you had to take a sharp right turn to get to her room and I tripped and fell hard on the wood stairs, she was already in her room screaming at me to get up but I couldn't…

How To Tell A True War Story Essay

Almost everyone has lied at one point in their lives. Some lies may be big and others small but they still tell the lie. Most people only lie to make their stories sound better. For example, war veterans love to tell their stories and the stories they tell are usually exciting and wouldn’t need to lie when they are telling their stories or at least one would believe they are not lying about the stories they are telling. According to Tim O’Brien in one of his many stories he clearly states that to tell a true war story you have to lie. O’Brien is a Vietnam War veteran, who after the war becomes a writer and writes stories about his experiences he had during the war. Most of the times he writes stories that are mostly lies just so he can make the truth in those…

Personal Narrative: My Family Is Dead

You see the person who killed my parents wasn't finished just yet. When I turned ten, my brother was kidnapped. I didn't want to get into detail because afterwards he ended up dead, although me and my foster family were searching for him, only to find him dead in the parking lot.…

Journal Entry- Russian Immigration.

I was a young man when my family's journey began in the search for freedom. We resided in a decent little neighborhood just in the outskirts of southern Russia. All the families around knew each other very well therefore I could never understand why my family always seemed so miserable. I mean I heard stories and watched the news about bad accidents from muggers to murderers but I never seen anything like that around where we lived. Until one night my father did not come home, my mother told me he was just working late, but I knew something else was wrong, it was way after any working hours. I became so frustrated of waiting for my father I guess I ended up falling asleep because next thing I remember was being woken up at 3:30 am by my mother hysterically crying. I knew it was my father so all I could do was sit there and hug her. The officer told me he had been found in an alley after being brutally beaten, and he was already dead upon their arrival. Witnesses claim they saw him get jumped outside of the synagogue which he had been seen leaving earlier that afternoon. My father always carried his valuables on him, all his money, personal information cards, and bank account numbers. None of this was on him when he had been found, which only meant one thing, they could be coming for us next. My mother spent days searching for friends or family we could stay with for awhile until we could get ourselves together. But with our luck we were helpless.…

Middle School Narrative Essay

Middle school was really weird time for me. It seemed like it was the most dramatic / drama filled. Our school at St. Peters was messed up, anything that could happen did. I've had teacher come up to me and ask for answers to what happened. Students doing bad things and etc. Also middle school to me was so fun, because people who I like got in trouble because of me. If you weren't my friend at St. Peters you better hope that you weren't mean to me, because if you were the teachers would find out what you did and they get in trouble.…

911 Narrative Essay

"That moment was when I learned the importance of words. Whether you may be angry, sad, or happy, you must use your words wisely. Love everyone, and tell them so every day"(George Phoenix.)…

Juvenile Justice Process and Corrections

When I first got picked up I was really scared but I knew what I had done was wrong. I had been breaking into houses for a while now. Always in and out real quick and I always picked the houses where I knew the owners were at work because they all lived on the same street as me so I knew their schedules as well as I knew my own. But this time it was different someone decided to come home early and caught me right in the act. I froze I couldn’t move, couldn’t make my legs work. My mind was saying, “Run, run, run” but it’s like my legs were not even a part of my body at the time. So there I was standing in their hallway with a fist full of jewelry that I hadn’t quite gotten into my back pack yet to add with the new game console I found still in its box in the closet. I remember laughing as I took the game and shoved it in my bag thinking wow it’s not even open yet must have been a gift for someone, thinking to myself, “It’s my gift now!”…

An Example Of Narrative Essay About Lifeguard

You never know how helpless you are until you have a near death experience. One summer, when I was young, my family and I went to a water park. I didn’t know how to swim, but thankfully the majority of the park required no swimming ability. For one of the rides, I wanted to get out of my tube and jump around, but once I climbed out, I immediately sunk to the bottom. I tried to kick back up and just as my legs gave in, a lifeguard climbed in and essentially saved my life. He was my hero and I was very grateful, but something was bothering me. I realized later that it was the fact that I wasn’t able to help myself. It was that moment when I decided to become a lifeguard to save myself and many others.…

8th Grade Narrative Essay

As I move on to eighth grade I reflect on the many great memories I have shared at this school. Seventh grade was a fresh new year, not like sixth grade, or fifth, or fourth. You do not have high school next year like the eighth graders, you are not the young new ones like the sixth graders. You are the seventh graders or as many refer to the “middle class.” At this school I have done everything from fun field trips to studying for hard tests. From kindergarten to now going into eighth grade. Sometimes I cannot even believe I am going on to eighth grade. It seems like it was just yesterday when I was anxiously awaiting, for the first day of sixth grade.…

Related Topics

• Debut albums
• 2007 singles
• American films
• 2008 singles
• 2006 singles

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

Factors Associated With Risk-Taking Behaviors

Geber86 / E+ / Getty Images

• Who's at Risk?
• Getting Help

Risk-taking behavior refers to engaging in actions or activities that have the potential to be harmful or dangerous, increasing the risk of unintentional injuries and violence. This can include misusing alcohol , binge drinking , taking illicit substances, driving under the influence , or engaging in unprotected sex. 

Here we discuss the potential causes of risk-taking behaviors. We also explore several risk-taking examples that can harm a person's health and well-being, along with providing a few tips for getting help.

Causes of Risk-Taking Behaviors

There are a number of reasons why people might engage in risky behaviors. Understanding these reasons can be helpful when it comes to addressing them.

Thrill-Seeking

Given that risk-taking behaviors are potentially dangerous, some people wonder why anyone would take part. On one hand, the behaviors put those individuals in harm's way. On the other hand, they also give participants the chance to experience a thrill followed by emotions of relief or triumph.

Driving fast, for example, may lead to a car accident that harms the individual who is driving and others on the street. In the moment and directly after, however, it may bring about positive feelings from the thrill of a fast ride followed by relief in not getting caught by the police.

In some cases, people engage in risk-taking behaviors simply because they enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with it. These people are often referred to as "thrill seekers" and might take risks even when there is no real benefit in doing so.

Social Influences

Risky behaviors can sometimes be a way to gain social approval or acceptance. Peer pressure , for example, can play a significant role in risk-taking behaviors. If someone sees their friends or peers doing risky things and wants to feel accepted by them, they might engage in those behaviors too.

This is particularly true during late adolescence when teens typically feel that conforming to their social group is important. With their friends' influences, teens often engage in some amount of testing their abilities and exploring limits as they forge their own identities. This becomes problematic when it puts their health and well-being at risk.

Mental Health

Certain mental health conditions can contribute to risk-taking behaviors. For example, individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to engage in risky behaviors because they tend to be more impulsive. People with bipolar disorder are also more likely to take risks during manic and hypomanic episodes.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is in and of itself a risky behavior, but using alcohol and other substances can also contribute to additional risk-taking. For example, research indicates that people with alcohol dependence engage in more high-risk behaviors, especially after bouts of heavy drinking, due to both impulsivity and sensation seeking.

There are many different reasons why people engage in high-risk actions. As with other types of behaviors, genetic and environmental factors often influence how likely people are to participate in these types of behaviors.

Risk-Taking Examples

Risk-taking behavior can include a range of actions. Some carry more serious consequences than others and, in some cases, may involve the occurrence of more than one high-risk behavior at a time.

Examples of risk-taking behaviors that people may engage in include:

• Criminal activity such as stealing, vandalism, or trespassing
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or engaging in dangerous driving, such as street racing or texting while driving
• Engaging in extreme sports that have a high risk of injury or death
• Gambling, often betting more than they can afford to lose
• Getting into physical fights or altercations
• Having sex with strangers, or engaging in sex without using protection against sexually transmitted diseases or unplanned pregnancies
• Sexting or sharing sexually explicit content on social media apps
• Skipping school
• Tobacco use  

Even when risk-takers engage in widely practiced behaviors, such as drinking or smoking cigarettes, they put their lives at risk as deaths associated with these behaviors are higher than deaths associated with illicit drug use. Still, risk-takers tend to ignore the consequences of their behaviors.

Who Engages in Risk-Taking Behaviors?

There are a number of factors that can make it more likely that people will engage in risky behavior. Here are some of the demographics with higher rates, according to research.

Young Adults

Age can play a role in how likely a person is to engage in risky behaviors. While these behaviors are present throughout the lifespan, young adults are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors than older adults.

Some studies have found that these behaviors are the most prevalent in 19 to 29-year-olds. Others suggest that risk-taking behaviors peak in the teen years and decline with age, as people become more risk-averse.

The brain is still developing and maturing in the early years of life. As a result, teens and young adults are often more impulsive, more likely to take risks, and less likely to consider the consequences.

A person's biological sex may also have an impact on whether they engage in risk-taking behavior. Some research indicates that males are more likely to be risk-takers than females. This difference may be due to having higher levels of testosterone.

Although the hormone estradiol—which is higher in females—has also been associated with taking greater risks, as has higher cortisol levels , which is often referred to as the "stress hormone."

Social factors, like the pressure to conform to gender norms , can also play a role. For example, males might feel pressure to take risks to appear "masculine" while females might feel pressure to avoid risk-taking to appear "feminine."

People With Certain Genes

Genetics appear to play a role in risk-taking behaviors as well. Some researchers have identified certain genes that tend to be more present in individuals who engage in risky behaviors.

Other studies have made this connection by studying the genes of twins. According to one piece of research, financial risk-taking was determined to be roughly 29% inherited while safety-related risk-taking had a 55% heritability rate.

Impulsive and Adventurous Personalities

Certain personality traits may also influence risk-taking behaviors. For example, people who are more impulsive, sensation-seeking, or adventurous are more likely to take risks. Additionally, if a person's Big 5 personality traits change, their level of engagement in risky behaviors tends to change as well.

Individuals With Mental Health Conditions

Certain mental health conditions may also contribute to an increased risk for risk-taking. One is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study of 234 military veterans with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury found that these individuals were more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior, especially when in a negative state.

According to the study, this is due in part to veterans with PTSD often being more impulsive. They also tend to be more sensation-seeking, feel a sense of invincibility, and are prone to a higher level of boredom.

Getting Help for Risky Behaviors

If we find ourselves engaging in risky behaviors such as drug abuse, unprotected sex, or gambling, it's time to get help. Risk-taking behavior can cause us physical harm, such as by contracting a sexually transmitted infection , or lead to financial losses that we can't recover from without some heavy lifting. 

Working with a psychotherapist can help address the underlying causes that might be contributing to risk-taking behaviors. Support groups can provide access to others who are going through similar experiences.

Social support is also important. Consider confiding in a close friend or family member who can reinforce accountability when the urge to engage in risky behaviors strikes. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overview: What is the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System?

Buckley R. Qualitative analysis of emotions: Fear and thrill . Front Psychol . 2016;7:1187. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01187

Siraj R, Najam B, Ghazal S. Sensation seeking, peer influence, and risk-taking behavior in adolescents . Educ Res Int . 2021;8:1-8. doi:10.1155/2021/8403024

Duell N, Steinberg L, Icenogle G, et al. Age patterns in risk taking across the world . J Youth Adolesc . 2018;47:1052-1072. doi:10.1007/s10964-017-0752-y

Dekkers T, de Water E, Scheres A. Impulsive and risky decision-making in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The need for a developmental perspective . Curr Opin Psychol . 2022;44:330-336. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.11.002

Marengo E, Martino D, Igoa A, et al. Sexual risk behaviors among women with bipolar disorder . Psychiatry Res . 2015;230(3):835-838. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2015.10.021

Korlakunta A, Pavankumar Reddy CM. High-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence . Indian J Psychiatry . 2019;61(2):125-130. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_395_17

Peacock A, Leung J, Larney S, et al. Global statistics on alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use: 2017 status report .  Addiction . 2018;113(10):1905–1926. doi:10.1111/add.14234

Willoughby T, Heffer T, Good M, Magnacca C. Is adolescence a time of heightened risk taking? An overview of types of risk-taking behaviors across age groups . Development Rev . 2021;61:100980. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2021.100980

Reniers R, Murphy L, Lin A, Bartolomé S, Wood S. Risk perception and risk-taking behaviour during adolescence: The influence of personality and gender . PLoS One . 2016;11(4):e0153842. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153842

Kurath J, Mata R. Individual differences in risk taking and endogeneous levels of testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol: A systematic literature search and three independent meta-analyses . Neurosci Biobehav Rev . 2018;90:428-446. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.003

Strawbridge RJ, Ward J, Lyall LM, et al .   Genetics of self-reported risk-taking behaviour, trans-ethnic consistency and relevance to brain gene expression .  Transl Psychiatry. 2018 ; 8:178. doi:10.1038/s41398-018-0236-1

Wang XT, Zheng R, Xuan YH, Chen J, Li S. Not all risks are created equal: A twin study and meta-analysis of risk taking across seven domains . J Experiment Psychol: Gen . 2016;145(11):1548-1560. doi:10.1037/xge0000225

Josef AK, Richter D, Samanez-Larkin GR, Wagner GG, Hertwig R, Mata R. Stability and change in risk-taking propensity across the adult life span . J Personal Soc Psychol . 2016;111(3):430-450. doi:10.1037/pspp0000090

James LM, Strom TQ, Leskela J. Risk-taking behaviors and impulsivity among veterans with and without PTSD and Mild TBI . Military Med . 2014;179(4):357-363. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00241

By Matthew Tull, PhD Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Essay on Dangerous Situation

Students are often asked to write an essay on Dangerous Situation in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Dangerous Situation

Understanding dangerous situations.

A dangerous situation is a situation that can harm you or someone else. It can be a natural disaster like an earthquake or a human-made situation like a fire in a building. It’s important to know about these situations to stay safe.

Types of Dangerous Situations

There are many types of dangerous situations. Natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes are some examples. Man-made situations like car accidents, fires, or crimes are also dangerous. Each situation requires different safety measures.

Staying Safe

To stay safe in dangerous situations, we need to be prepared. We should learn about safety rules and follow them. For example, in case of a fire, we should know the exit routes. It’s also good to have a safety kit ready.

Helping Others

In a dangerous situation, we should also try to help others. If we see someone in trouble, we should call for help. We can also learn first aid to help injured people. But we should also make sure we are safe first.

Learning from Experiences

250 words essay on dangerous situation.

Dangerous situations are moments where there is a risk of harm or damage. These risks can be to our health, property, or even our lives. For example, being in a burning building is a dangerous situation because it could hurt us or even take our lives.

Dangerous situations can happen anywhere and at any time. They can be natural, like earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes. They can also be man-made, like car accidents, fires, or wars. For example, if a car is speeding on a wet road, it can skid and cause an accident. This is a man-made dangerous situation.

How to React

When we find ourselves in a dangerous situation, it’s important to stay calm. Panic can make things worse. We should try to think clearly and make wise choices. For instance, in a fire, we should not use the elevator but use the stairs to get out of the building.

Prevention is Better

The best way to deal with dangerous situations is to prevent them from happening. We can do this by being careful and following safety rules. For instance, to prevent a car accident, we should not speed and always wear our seat belts.

In conclusion, dangerous situations are risky moments that can cause harm. They can be natural or man-made. We should stay calm in these situations and try to prevent them by following safety rules.

500 Words Essay on Dangerous Situation

What is a dangerous situation.

Dangerous situations can be divided into two main types: natural and human-made. Natural dangerous situations include storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfires. These are caused by nature and can happen anywhere, anytime.

Human-made dangerous situations are caused by people. They include accidents, wars, fires, and crimes. For example, a person might cause a car accident by driving too fast, or a fire might start because someone was not careful with a match.

How to Respond to Dangerous Situations

In some dangerous situations, we might need to call for help. This could be the police, the fire department, or an ambulance. It’s important to know the right number to call in your country.

Preparation is Key

The best way to handle a dangerous situation is to be prepared. This means learning about the different types of dangerous situations and what to do in each one. For example, you might learn how to do first aid, or how to use a fire extinguisher.

The Role of Courage

Being in a dangerous situation can be very scary. But it’s important to be brave. Courage doesn’t mean not being scared. It means being scared, but doing what needs to be done anyway. This might mean helping someone else, even if it’s risky. Or it might mean staying calm and thinking clearly, even if you’re frightened.

Dangerous situations are scary and can cause harm. But by staying calm, knowing what to do, and being prepared, we can handle them better. And even in these tough times, we can show courage and help others. Remember, safety is always the most important thing. So let’s learn, prepare, and be ready to face any dangerous situation.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Apr 16, 2021

Essay on a Dangerous Experience of my Life of Lion attack

I have a dangerous experience in my life . I was returning home in the evening. I was crossing a dense forest. I saw a lion's fight with an elephant.

Surprising Scene I saw in my life:

I quickly jumped out of the vehicle and started to take pictures. The thing grabbed me by the arm and threw me against the tree, pinning me. I couldn't break free from the tree. It was pressing into my upper body. I could feel the lion's paws, like the elephant's feet, grinding down on my upper body. Then the lion let go of my arm and tossed me in the forest.

I never realized this will happen to me:

The lion looked at me, not moving. I waited. The lion waited until I was within shouting distance, then he charged.

Death Experience of My Life

I took cover behind a haystack. I had some shelter from the lion's roar and his jaws. I did not feel the shock of the charge. All I felt was the lion's crushing jaws tearing into my body. My eyes were wide open, but I could not see. I could only feel the force of the charge. The pain was intense, stabbing through my body. I could not move. I could only feel the charge, the pain, the shock, and the blood running down my legs, as the lion bit into my legs. The lion let go of my legs, and I fell to the ground. Blood trickled down my legs and onto the haystacks below me. I lay there for a minute or two until the blood died down. I lifted myself and looked around. There were footprints in the haystacks, near where I had been standing. I lay down and waited.

Patience saved me :

I stayed there for half an hour or so. I tried to stretch my arms and legs. Nothing. I was starving. The lion had dislocated my shoulder and dislocated my elbow. They were very bad. I was afraid to move. So I just waited for the lion to go and left the area.

Sever Pain I ever faced in my Life:

At last, the lion came near. It came to within about 5 yards of me, as it had with the haystack. I was again exposed to the lion's charge, and the pain in my leg, which must have been excruciating. This time I lay still and still. As I lay still, the pain subsided. I rose and laid down by the haystack, and I lay with my hands folded on my breast, and I wept.

I had the first glimpse of the man. He stood and walked away from me. I could hear his steps, as he left the area. My blood boiled with pain, and I began to cry. I could not move. My head hurt terribly. I could not see. I lay on the haystack for some minutes, until the pain subsided. The pain was terrible.

Painful death and I wept:

When the pain subsided, I saw the same man. I lay down on the grass, and I wept. I felt sorry for the man. He had sustained some injuries, and it must have been a very painful death to have to his leg in a haystack to get to cover. I wept for the poor fellow, until I felt my bleeding wound to be contained, and could stand up. I was not sure I could move again. I looked around for a rock to sit on. I could not find one. I felt sorry for myself. I sat down and waited.

First relief after this incident:

The lion was gone. The man was lying dead by the lion. I could not see the lion. I began to sob and began to think that the lion must have been a close encounter of the first kind.

I felt better after that.

I sat down and waited.

Greg Englehart Save my life:

The other person I would like to thank is Greg Englehardt who has come to the rescue of many endangered species. Greg was an expert on raptors and was able to help me solve my problem. He was also able to help me identify the problem. Greg gave me a great guide, and I thank Greg for that.

In conclusion, I thank Greg Englehardt for coming to the rescue, and I wish him a safe journey. I ask that he shares all his knowledge and experience on my problem. I hope that he is able to identify the problem. I ask that you contact me if you come across any problems with my posting.

Dangerous experience of Thirst:

I walked, walked through the forest, out of the bush, and into a farm field. By this time, I was very thirsty. I wandered into a nearby farmhouse and sat down to drink a cup of hot tea. The house owned by a farmer, his wife, and young son watched me wander in. They called me and brought me food. I ate, drank, and slept.

When morning came, I was more tired. I ate my food slowly, and hobbled out of the farmhouse, to see if the farmer's son had found anything to wear. I did not find anything to wear. It was hot. I hobbled on. Eventually, I saw some fields in front of me and walked slowly into them. Then, I saw the lion in the distance.

No comments:

Post a comment.

  Weekly Popular

• Courtesy Essay On Courtesy School Essay 'English dictionary online' gives the synonyms and more words related to courtesy, however I find it in an unique way- Courtesy ...

Search by one word

• Forum- Answer Hub
• Creative Academy
• Publish Your Essay
• Member Submission
• Latest Essay

  Important Links

  Essay Categories !

Categories of Essay

• Informative essay (72)
• Aim of Life (32)
• school (24)
• Informative Essay-2 (23)
• Biography Essay (22)
• Hindu Festival Essay (20)
• my favourite (19)
• Competitor (18)
• Autobiography Essay (17)
• Health is Wealth (16)
• Essay On Pollution (15)
• behaviour (15)
• my dream (15)
• Lokpal bill Essay (14)
• Science essay (14)
• experience (14)
• hindi essay (14)
• Most memorable day in my life. (12)
• computer (12)
• My Best Friend (11)
• My School (11)
• A trip with your Family (10)
• Islam Related (10)
• my mother (10)
• My family essay (9)
• Corruption (8)
• Essay on Teacher (8)
• Examination (8)
• Honesty is the best policy (8)
• Journey By Train (8)
• My Favorite Subject (8)
• Summer Vacation Essay (8)
• Time Management Essay (8)
• Essay on Winter (7)
• Good Manners (7)
• Holiday (7)
• Train accidents essay (7)
• imagination (7)
• my home (7)
• save water essay (7)
• Discipline (6)
• Journey By Bus (6)
• My Garden (6)
• custom and tradition (6)
• independence Day (6)
• Importance of (5)
• My village essay (5)
• Natural Disaster (5)
• Writing Skills (5)
• business and official letter (5)
• new year greetings (5)
• prime minister essay (5)
• reading (5)
• sign of humanity (5)
• wild animal (5)
• Flood essay (4)
• Jawaharlal Nehru essay (4)
• Letter to the editor (4)
• Mahatma Gandhi (4)
• My Hobby (4)
• New year message (4)
• Newspaper (4)
• Pointwise (4)
• Pollution (4)
• Presence of Mind (4)
• Raksha Bandhan Essay (4)
• Television (4)
• courtesy essay (4)
• government (4)
• happiness (4)
• incident of childhood (4)
• muslim-festivals (4)
• sport and game (4)
• 100 rupee note (3)
• Blessing or curse (3)
• Childhood (3)
• Global Warming (3)
• Income tax (3)
• Lokpal bill (3)
• My Self essay (3)
• Prophet Mohammad (3)
• Republic Day Essay (3)
• Taj Mahal Essay (3)
• Things I like Most (3)
• Vacation (3)
• cricket (3)
• journey to sea shore (3)
• morality (3)
• women empowerment (3)
• Cartoon Characters (2)
• Drug Abuse (2)
• Duty of Students (2)
• Earthquake Essay (2)
• Effective English Essay (2)
• Essay on Swimming (2)
• Farming Festival of India (2)
• Interview Tricks (2)
• Lion Essay (2)
• Morning Walk (2)
• My Country Essay Kids (2)
• My Daily Routine (2)
• National Flag (2)
• New Year Quotation (2)
• Patriotism (2)
• Pressure on today's students (2)
• Rainy Day essay (2)
• Success stories (2)
• What will you do (2)
• What will you do if your father give a 100 rupee note. (2)
• essay topics (2)
• essay words (2)
• internet (2)
• leisure (2)
• population (2)
• poverty (2)
• quotation (2)
• sea beach (2)
• short essay (2)
• students (2)
• worksheet (2)
• Acid Rain (1)
• English Expression (1)
• Gram Panchayat essay (1)
• Hill Station (1)
• Journey By Train Hindi (1)
• Jubilee (Jayanti) (1)
• My Favourite Cartoon (1)
• My Introduction (1)
• Neighbour (1)
• Photos Images (1)
• Pre-Historic Times (1)
• Rising in price in India (1)
• School Magazine (1)
• Teachers day (1)
• birthday (1)
• boating (1)
• co-deducation (1)
• handicapped (1)
• lotus flower (1)
• my wish (1)
• no pain no gain (1)
• rash driving (1)
• school bag (1)
• solo player (1)
• upto 100 Words (1)
• youth generation (1)

• Knowledge Hub
• Education for Young People

People’s past experiences and personal stories can influence risk-taking behaviour

• Australian Journal of Emergency Management
• July 2019 edition

Stories of events form an integral part of the social context in which disasters are interpreted, made sense of and can influence risk-taking behaviour. However, ‘heroic’ stories can have a darker side in the context of natural disasters when they become part of myths or are used to bolster risk-taking activities. Such stories have the potential to undermine the safety messages of governments and emergency services organisations. This paper explores three narratives from historical disaster events to consider if social narratives offer avenues to reduce risk-taking behaviours during emergency events.

Introduction

Human behaviour is notoriously difficult to understand and predict. It is the outcome of a complex mix between biological urges and perception, agency and social structures. There is clear evidence that more men than women place themselves in higher risk situations that have potential and actual fatalities (Fitzgerald et al. 2010, Jonkman & Kerman 2005). There is now literature that explores why this may be the case. However, one aspect that has received less attention is that of social narratives and social memory and the influence these may have on perceptions, meaning and, ultimately, risk-taking behaviour. This paper draws on an oral history research project that explored community resilience within a Queensland coastal community that had experienced a number of cyclone events. Three stories in particular stand out related to risk-taking behaviour. The stories had been retold many times over the years within the local community. This retelling prompted the question: Is it possible these stories influence the risk-taking behaviour of others as well as the story tellers? This paper presents the three narratives and briefly describes the disaster-related literature on risk-taking behaviour to examine how social narratives and social memory open up areas of research into risk-taking behaviour.

Risk-taking behaviours during hazardous events are of concern for emergency management organisations as the risk extends beyond those acting in risky ways to potentially impact on others, including emergency response personnel. Regarding flood injury risk, Franklin and colleagues (2014) noted that levels of risk depend on the characteristics of the flood and context as well as the behaviour of people. They argued that education programs may raise awareness of the dangers of driving through flooded waters, but it is difficult to create accurate perceptions of threat for events that rarely occur. Also, people with past experiences of flood often underestimate their propensity of being at risk in future flood events (Franklin et al. 2014). They also recognised that increased urbanisation and climate change contribute to more flood events occurring in the future. Thus, the public’s experience of floods is likely to increase. Whether this contributes to riskier behaviour is difficult to predict. Where Franklin and co-authors (2014) suggested people with experience underestimate their risk, Li’s (2009) research with residents of Darwin suggested long-term residents have a good understanding of their risks and live and behave with awareness while newer residents are less aware and often nonchalant. This finding points to the potential role of social narratives and social memory to remind long-term residents of the dangers of natural hazards; that messages of awareness and staying safe infiltrate stories that long-term residents tell themselves as part of understanding the meaning associated with such events.

Thompson and co-authors (2018) looked at the preparedness and risk behaviours of horse owners during bushfires in South Australia. They noted the influence of ‘disaster myths’ and warn that heroic stories of survival are not helpful, even if near misses and cautionary tales can be used to better prepare communities. The stories that circulate within communities (and increasingly on social media) are of risk-taking behaviours where all ended well. This tendency reflects a broader approach to risk. Athanassoulis and Ross (2010) argued there is a need to shift research away from outcomes of risk to understanding the decisions to take risks in the first place as well as the notion of ‘reasonableness’ in that decision. They purport that the tendency to focus only on outcomes diminishes the ‘moral responsibility’ of action. Instead, they argue that focusing on the reasonableness of a decision to act puts more attention on good judgement and requires wisdom and sensitivity to context.

Social narratives play a role as they help people derive meaning from experiences. Social narratives are the stories communities tell themselves about themselves. These stories influence what options people see as available and they influence the interpretations people make. Social narratives help construct memories and traditions and they condition people’s lives and communities by making meaning of the present and opening possibilities for the future (Anderson 2010). Social narratives are derived from personal and collective stories that are told and retold and become a part of how people see themselves within their communities. They also contribute to social memory that relates to institutionalising these ways of being, knowing and doing. They can actively construct and reconstruct which social elements are retained, reordered or suppressed and often lead to unquestioned traditions gaining ‘truth claim’ status (Anderson 2010). However, it is possible to change social narratives and social memories. An example is the changing social role of women over the past two centuries in western countries. This has changed from unchallenged stories and legal constraints that diminished women’s cognitive and social abilities to one where women have legal equality with men, even if there are specific cultural legacies of inequality that remain.

Thus, while there is increasing literature on the psychological and behavioural aspects of disaster-related risk-taking, little research has been undertaken on the contribution of social narratives and social memories in constructing the social context in which risk-taking behaviours take place. This study takes a historical perspective on three narratives that contribute to the social meaning associated with cyclones within a small community. It explored how social narratives and social memory are important factors to consider in improving preparations for emergency events.

The Capricorn Coast of Australia is nestled on the shore of Keppel Bay in Central Queensland. From the shore, the islands that sit on the horizon provide a comforting sense of protection; ensuring the waters are safe for swimming and recreation. Indeed, the cooling sea breezes and the safe swimming beaches were critical to the townships of Yeppoon and Emu Park becoming established as seaside resorts for the regional city of Rockhampton. The local economy relies heavily on tourism but also has economic bases in agriculture and fishing. Over the past 30 years, the population has expanded rapidly as people choose to undertake the daily commute to the city. Several moderate-to-severe cyclones have been recorded since 1900.

This research used oral history within a narrative inquiry methodology. Narrative inquiry privileges the stories of people and can be approached through a variety of methods, including oral history (Reissman 2008). Oral history is juxtaposed between narrative inquiry and history and, therefore, seeks to tell historical truths as well as recognise the social construction of personal perspectives (Abrams 2010). Oral history can provide insights into:

• social consciousness to help raise awareness of issues impacting on public health
• social narratives or the stories told about people and place (this is the most common use of oral history)
• social memory, which includes the institutional policies and practices as well as mainstream historical precedents and explanations (Anderson 2010, Madsen 2018).

Following Cyclone Marcia in 2015, the Livingstone Shire Council funded an oral history project to understand how the community dealt with adversity in the past and how these stories could provide insight into community responses. Between June and December 2016, interviews were conducted with 20 long-term residents to explore their relationship with the community and their experiences of past adversities, including weather events. All the participants (11 men and 9 women) had lived in the community for more than 40 years; most were in their 70s and 80s when interviewed. One resident who was in her 90s could remember the 1930s cyclone event.

This paper focuses on three of these testimonies as they included stories that had apparently been told many times over the years to family and community members. These stories are presented in an abbreviated narrative form that was constructed from the verbatim transcripts (Clandinin 2013, Kim 2016).

Listening to and exploring the memories of older people needs to be understood for what it is. Memories are not archival repositories of lived experiences and are not reliable sources of facts when compared to written records (Tumblety 2013, Abrams 2010). Rather, individual memory is constructed through dialogue (Green 2012), thus, individual memory is also about community. There is a symbiotic relationship between subjective experiences and events, and between individual and collective memory (Abrams 2010). It is this interplay that influences what is remembered, how it is remembered and why it is remembered (Abrams 2010, Tumblety 2013). The three narratives outlined in this paper are examples of this interplay. The stories relate to people’s experiences during either the 1949 or 1976 cyclone events that were told with fluidity, indicating the stories had been told many times, have contributed to the shared construction of the past within the community (Smith 2012) and indicated the events affected the community in quite a traumatic manner (Abrams 2010). It is the interplay between the individual and the collective that improves the understanding of social narratives and memories. While the stories and experiences themselves are unique, they can represent the broader meaning-making within communities (Dodd 2013).

Ethics approval was granted by the Central Queensland University Human Research Ethics Committee (H16/06-072). The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and lodged with the local historical society. Pseudonyms have been used in this paper for personal reflections. 

Tropical Cyclone Marcia caused significant damage to property in Yeppoon, Queensland due to its severe winds. Image: Cyclone Testing Station, James Cook University

The narratives.

‘Joan’ moved to Yeppoon with her family in the early 1940s when she was 14 years old (Joan personal communication, 2 August 2016). In 1949, she was working in a general store and was engaged to be married. She had a certain nonchalance towards cyclones. ‘Cyclones weren’t called cyclones then, they were just ‘blows’’, she recalled. Not having experienced a cyclone before, she remembered looking out to sea in 1949 as it approached:

This blow was getting a bit fierce and I looked out and the horizon was white and I thought, ‘I wonder what’s that’, you know, and it didn’t hit me but it must have been the storm, and it was heading for Yeppoon and the winds – the gusts were getting stronger and stronger – and my mother said, ‘If we don’t put something to stop the windows in the front’ – they were starting to buckle in – she said, ‘the whole roof will come off’. So she said to me, ‘We’ll take the bedroom door off’.

Joan and her mother nailed a blackboard brought up from under the house and the bedroom door to the windows to prevent them from collapsing and possibly dislodging the roof.

And it’s getting darker and darker and the wind was screaming. This was an old house and there were places where the wind could get through and scream. And we were sitting on the floor, having some cold stew mum had cooked in the morning. We had a kerosene refrigerator and we had a light, that was the only light we had, and my younger sister was crying, and the ducks were squeaking and the dog and cat weren’t too happy. And all of a sudden it stopped, and we thought, ‘Wow’. We didn’t know there was an eye in a cyclone. We didn’t know it was a cyclone even, and it was just rain and wind and as it came back again, daylight was starting. And it came in the back of the house and because there’s glass windows, two lots there, mum said, ‘Well, we have to try to save the roof from this side’, and we got the table and put it up and she’s hanging onto the table and I’m driving six-inch nails in and that stopped the roof from coming off. And I wasn’t married in those days and my fiancé came up to see how we were and looked at the table and said, ‘How the bloody hell are we going to get that down!’ But you see, fear lends you strength. We did it, we saved the house.

This story highlights how people can be unaware of how extreme weather conditions can be and thus be unprepared. On the day the cyclone crossed the coast, the local newspaper reported the cyclone’s position was south of the local area and it was ‘too far from the tropical coast to affect the area to any marked extent’ ( Morning Bulletin 2 March 1949, p.4). Two days later, this same newspaper reported the region had been battered by one of the worst cyclones in its history ( Morning Bulletin 3 March 1949, p.1). The unexpectedness and speed with which the weather turned became part of the social narrative and Joan’s unexpected physical feats, heroine-like in the midst of a frightening event, are also reflected in the stories of ‘Frank’ and ‘Bill’.

Where Joan’s story centres on the domestic space, Frank’s story focuses on saving his business, including a relatively new (and expensive) boat on which the business depended (Frank personal communication, 15 September 2016). After years of struggling to make the business profitable, the timing of the 1976 cyclone could not have been worse.

It wasn’t so much the wind that did the damage, it was the great big swells. About every half hour, there’d be this enormous wave, up to 10 metres high. That’s 30 foot, that’s a helluva big wave and this is what did all the damage. That big wave’d come in and it would pick up the boulders over there at the harbour and just pick ‘em up and toss ‘em.

Frank’s boat was moored in the harbour and as he and his partner watched thick ropes snapping, they decided to head out to sea.

We got in our boat and away we went, and everybody’s saying, ‘Those bloody mad blokes, they are’. Because it was an 80-foot boat and here we went out and up, we’re going over the waves and you couldn’t see – it was just absolutely pouring rain. So we knew roughly where we had to go. We didn’t have the gadgets they’ve got today electronically, just a compass. We kept in so we could run from island to island to island.

Frank and his partner were looking for the mouth of the Fitzroy River in which they believed they would find shelter, but the water current dragged them further south than they anticipated and they knew the area was shallow. Visibility was very limited.

‘Alan’ (Frank’s partner) said, ‘Wouldn’t it be good if we could see the Cape. We’d have some idea just roughly where to head for’. And I’d say within a minute, maybe two, without any warning, as sharp as you like, the weather in front of us split like that, just slowly and in between there and there, visibility was 100 per cent. Not a droppa rain. Either side, nothing. And where was it pointing? Right at the Cape. It’s open like that say 5 to 10 seconds, and then it gradually closed like that, and as it closed, the weather closed with it.

Frank believed this experience bordered on the miraculous and, as such, the story is worth recounting. However, the decision to head out to sea to save the boat is an activity that is more likely to infiltrate social memory. This behaviour, seen as madness by some, likely prevented significant damage to the boat and has contributed to a social narrative of heroism in the face of danger.

Emergency services volunteers often act heroically during disasters. The Queensland Government established the Queensland State Emergency Service (SES) in 1975 after a major flooding event. In Yeppoon, a local branch of the SES was set up in 1976, a few months before Cyclone David hit the area. It was the first test for the new volunteers. Bill was one of those volunteers (Bill personal communication, 2 August 2016).

In the middle of the cyclone, at night, we were set up in the library at the Town Hall, at the Council Chambers and that was our council headquarters. And my wife was there and Cindy and they were manning the radios and telephones and takin’ the calls and that, and we tried not to have people out in the cyclone, you know, but we had an issue. We got a call at about 3 o’clock, from the hospital. The nursing staff, they’d evacuated the patients to Rockhampton that day, but the nursing staff were still down there and the salt water from the ocean started comin’ in underneath the hospital. Okay, so we went down and the water on the road then was about three feet deep, nearly a metre deep, and we brought the nursing staff up to the Town Hall where they set up a little nursing station. And just after that, we got a phone call from the ambulance that there was a lady in labour in Oak Street. This is in the middle of the bloody cyclone and trees are down, you know, all over the road and you couldn’t get through. So we’re out there with chainsaws in the middle of the cyclone, clearin’ the road, just to get the ambulance through. And we got this lady back to the Town Hall and that’s the only baby that’s ever been born in the Town Hall in Yeppoon.

Bill remained a member of this volunteer emergency service for the next 40 years and recalled that the training and safety precautions have changed significantly. However, his story of this first cyclone is well known within the township and points to extraordinary physical acts undertaken in dangerous circumstances.

Stories contribute to the forming of personal and collective identities, including senses of meaning and attachment to place (Kim 2016, Proudley 2013). Stories can provide a source of strength during difficult times (Madsen & O’Mullan 2013). Stories of heroism are often the source of mirth within families and local communities and can be repeated many years after the original events occurred. However, there can be a darker side to these heroic tales in the context of natural disasters when they become part of disaster myths or are used to bolster risk-taking behaviours (Thompson, Haigh & Smith 2018). In this way, these stories have the potential to undermine the safety messages of governments and emergency services organisations.

In the narratives presented, each depict risk-taking behaviour during cyclone events: Joan needed to go outside to get supplies, Frank and his partner went to sea, Bill cleared roads. Only Bill’s narrative was tempered with cautionary elements, reflecting his ongoing involvement with the SES. As such, his telling of ‘the old days’ retained the attractions of the story but incorporated contemporary precautions, perhaps considered a necessary element especially when retelling this story to fellow SES workers. It is likely the Darwin residents in Li’s (2009) research contain similar precautionary elements in their social narratives that help them remain risk-aware. As such, social narratives have the potential to be used as a protective mechanism.

It is difficult to know the effects of any of the narratives outlined in this paper (retold over many years to countless people) and whether they have influenced the behaviour of others or subsequent behaviours of the narrators. It is likely these stories, and others, have contributed to the broader social narratives regarding how Capricorn Coast residents respond to cyclones. It is also likely these narratives have both supported and undermined safety initiatives put in place by governments and emergency management authorities. The challenge lies in how to use social narratives to support risk-reduction efforts (Houston et al. 2015). This would require further research but opens up possibilities for prevention that have been under-explored.

Reducing risk-taking behaviours of people during disaster events remains a core part of the preparations that local emergency management organisations and governments undertake. Much of this has relied on communication campaigns to educate and raise awareness of the outcomes of such behaviours. This paper outlined that social narratives are worthy of research to investigate how the stories told about past experiences of disasters make meaning of the events, connect communities to each other and to place and are an avenue for disaster risk reduction.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Editorial Board

To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race

By The Editorial Board

The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values . It is separate from the newsroom.

President Biden has repeatedly and rightfully described the stakes in this November’s presidential election as nothing less than the future of American democracy.

Donald Trump has proved himself to be a significant jeopardy to that democracy — an erratic and self-interested figure unworthy of the public trust. He systematically attempted to undermine the integrity of elections. His supporters have described, publicly, a 2025 agenda that would give him the power to carry out the most extreme of his promises and threats. If he is returned to office, he has vowed to be a different kind of president, unrestrained by the checks on power built into the American political system.

Mr. Biden has said that he is the candidate with the best chance of taking on this threat of tyranny and defeating it. His argument rests largely on the fact that he beat Mr. Trump in 2020. That is no longer a sufficient rationale for why Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year.

At Thursday’s debate, the president needed to convince the American public that he was equal to the formidable demands of the office he is seeking to hold for another term. Voters, however, cannot be expected to ignore what was instead plain to see: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago.

The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant. He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence.

Mr. Biden has been an admirable president. Under his leadership, the nation has prospered and begun to address a range of long-term challenges, and the wounds ripped open by Mr. Trump have begun to heal. But the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .