Survival

Survival, also known as the process of surviving it is the capacity of things to live on especially when it is performed despite circumstances that could end up killing or destroying it. This concept is applicable to humans and other living creatures (or in the hypothetical case any other sentient being) as well as to objects that are physical as well as to abstract concepts like ideas or beliefs. All living things are self-protective and endure, whereas objects designed to be used in harsh environments are made to last.

The term, “survival”, derives from Late Latin supervivere, literally meaning “to outlive”. The most common usage is that “the term ‘survival’ means physical survival — that is, a struggle to avoid physical extermination”. For instance, Darwin’s theory of natural selection encapsulates the notion of the survival of the strongest in the battle for survival. Darwin defines fitness in the biological sense as a measure of reproductive success, and in Darwinian terms, the expression is understood to mean survival of the type that leaves the highest number of duplicates of itself over the next generations.

The historical references to survival encompass various aspects, from survival of an individual to the existence of empires civilizations, and the human race in general. The concept can also be applied to non-living objects. In the field of engineering the term “continuity” is used to refer to “the continued ability of the system to perform the desired function”. In law, it usually refers to the holder of an interest in law that outlives an individual with whom the interests are shared for example, an surviving spouse or an interest in itself for instance the legal right to survivorship. When it comes to the human consciousness, specifically when it is discussed in relation to the notion of a spirit or soul the term “survival” can mean existence after death

In a lot of the writing about the afterlife the term “survival” is often used in conjunction with immortality. Yet, it’s not difficult to understand why immortality is frequently preferred especially in religious circles. It’s not because it’s not associated with the associations that the word survival has with simply “living on” or even with luck-of-the-draw. In addition, immortality implies a higher quality of life, whereas the term survival signifies merely time extension, or an extension of the existing status.

Survival analysis is a subfield of statistics that studies the anticipated duration of time up to the point that one of life-ending situations occur, for example, death in biological organisms , or failure of mechanical systems. The main component of survival analysis is survival rate, which is the proportion of individuals in an investigation or treatment group who are living for a certain period of time following diagnosis. It’s a method of giving a description of prognosis for specific disease circumstances. The survival rate is utilized as a yardstick to aid in the evaluation of standard of therapy. The duration of survival is generally calculated from the date of diagnosis or commencement of treatment. Survival rates are crucial in determining prognosis, however because the percentage is calculated dependent on the entire population the individual prognosis could be different based on more recent treatments since the previous statistical analysis and the general health status of the person.

People who are concerned about the possibility of surviving a catastrophe or apocalypse are usually grouped under the concept of survivalism. The term “survivalist” in this sense began in the 1960s in the beginning.

There are many kinds of media that focus on survival. Both in non-fiction and fiction stories of people who have survived even in the most dangerous of circumstances are very popular. There is also a large selection of educational books, often referred to as survival guides, providing tips on how to survive in all kinds of hazardous situations, such as being lost and without water or food, or having to fight for your life, caught in a natural catastrophe.

In the world of film the survival film genre is a genre that sees the protagonists attempt the physical fight against death, usually when they are exposed to dangerous circumstances or an apocalyptic event. It frequently overlaps with other genres of film. It is a subgenre within an adventure movie, as well as the swashbuckler genre, war films as well as safari films. Survival films tend to be darker than other adventure films. They tend to focus their narratives on one character which is usually the main character. They are “located primarily in a contemporary context” which means that film viewers have a familiarity with the locale as well as the character’s actions are not as romanticized. In a book published in 1988, Thomas Sobchack compared the survival film to romance “They both emphasize the heroic triumph over obstacles which threaten social order and the reaffirmation of predominant social values such as fair play and respect for merit and cooperation”. The author stated that Survival films “identify and isolate a microcosm of society” for example, such as the group that survived an airplane crash from The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) or the crew of the ocean liner that was destroyed that was featured in The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Sobchack explainedthat “Most of the time in a survival film is spent depicting the process whereby the group, cut off from the securities and certainties of the ordinary support networks of civilized life, forms itself into a functioning, effective unit”. The group typically varies in its characters’ types often to the point of being a caricature. Although women are historically stereotyped in these films, women “often play a decisive role in the success or failure of the group”.