In the movie "Into the Wild", Christopher McCandless reveals many personality traits as he travels across North America to Alaska, in search of his true-self. Coming from a rich suburban neighborhood of Washington D.C., Chris graduated with honors from Emory University, and in the summer of 1990, the twenty-two year old disappeared without a trace. .
Changing his name to Alexander Supertramp, Chris gave away his twenty-four thousand dollar savings account to charity and burned all the cash he had in his wallet. Abandoning all of his possessions and loved ones, Chris displayed personality traits of extroversion, as he sets out on a life-changing adventure into the wild. This paper will be focusing on Chris' personality construct of nature relatedness, the different levels of extroversion he expresses during his journey and his desire to live off the land. .
Chris was highly respected by those who knew him. He was athletic and seemed to always be looking for ways to have fun. Chris was independent, sociable and rebelled against the establishment of capitalism. Expressing his enthusiasm for life, Chris truly lived for the moment, not looking to material things to give him satisfaction.
As viewers, we witness Chris' extroverted personality throughout the film. Most extroverted people seem happier and more upbeat than others. They often crave social interactions, talking, and have a "greater impact on their social environment" (Larsen & Buss, 2011, p.82). Extroverted people are outgoing, adventurous, outspoken and assertive (Larsen & Buss, 2011, p. 79). Individuals who are high on an extroverted level, set obtainable goals and handle criticism better than those possessing alternative personality traits (e.g. introversion). Like Chris, many individuals who are extroverted are stimulus-seeking (Hindelang, 1969, p.24). They are more adventurous due to the fact that stimulation has less of an effect on them, which in turn can make time seem to pass at a slower rate.
