Perceive, believe, then act

Laurence Gonzales in Deep Survival. Appendix.

Gonzales attempts to answer the question posed in his title, Who lives, who dies, and why? He lays out a handful of guiding principles which are true enough in themselves but I think he actually provides the information in his case stories for a slightly different answer. Those that survive are the ones that:

1) Want to survive
2) Plan and prepare for survival
3) Take an active role in their own survival (and that of others).

Obviously there is a huge swag of fate and fortune but it would seem that those three elements are common to all the survivors.

Gonzales identifies the rules that increase the probability that you will avoid threatening trouble in the first place and then he identifies the rules for when you are unavoidably in trouble.

Planning for trouble

Perceive, believe, then act
Avoid impulsive behavior, don't hurry
Know your stuff
Get the information
Commune with the dead (find out what has gone wrong before)
Be humble
When in doubt, bail out

Responding to trouble

Perceive, believe (look, see, believe)
Stay calm (use humor, use fear to focus)
Think/analyze/plan (get organized; set up small, manageable tasks)
Take correct, decisive action (be bold and cautious while carrying out tasks)
Celebrate your successes (take joy completing tasks)
Count your blessings (be grateful - you're alive)
Play (sing, play mind games, recite poetry, count anything, do mathematical problems in your head)
See the beauty (remember: it's a vision quest)
Believe that you will succeed (develop a deep conviction that you'll live)
Surrender (let go of your fear of dying; "put away the pain')
Do whatever is necessary (be determined, have the will and the skill)
Never give up (let nothing break your spirit)