Sometimes it might not be a bad idea to be a little bit afraid
You know that expression “I’d walk over hot coals for you”? Well, these people took it literally—and got burned:
More than 30 people who attended an event with motivational speaker Tony Robbins have been treated for burns after Robbins encouraged them to walk on hot coals as a way of conquering their fears, Dallas fire officials said…
The hot coals were spread outside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center as part of a four-day Robbins seminar called “Unleash the Power Within.”…
…”Unleash the Power Within” is described on his website as “designed to help you unlock and unleash the forces inside that can help you break through any limit,”…
It’s possible that the people who prepared the coals did something wrong, perhaps not letting them cool enough at one point. There could have been other reasons some people got burned, too; you’ll learn some of the possibilities if you read the Wiki article on firewalking. There is a physics to the activity having to do with the heat of the coals, the relative coolness of the feet, and the speed at which a person walks.
The laws of physics are not repealed for the firewalkers, and it is not a case of mind over matter, although to step on visibly hot coals certainly requires conquering fear. Here’s a summary of the science by a physics professor:
It would seem then, that a firewalk of short length is something any physically fit person could do and that it does not need a particular state of mind. Rather, it is the short time of contact and the low thermal capacity and conductivity of the coals that is important, and it is not necessary for the feet to be moist nor callused, although either may be of slight benefit. Longer walks appear to be possible if a layer of insulating ash is allowed to build up on a well packed down bed, where the temperature has been allowed to fall significantly from what it was when the coals were at their hottest.
So Robbins should actually be saying something like this: “You can conquer your fear of doing an activity that looks very dangerous but is not, if you trust me to have prepared the bed of coals in the proper manner, and if you follow the instructions.”
Granted, it’s not quite as socko or as empowering. But it’s still something I’m not going to be doing.
KJV Matt 14 . . .
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
A long time ago, while in East Asia, I witnessed a shaman claiming that he was going to walk over some hot coals at the very moment of the anniversary of a local god’s birth.
He took his first step and quickly jumped off; he huddled with some of the others in his group.
Then they made an announcement that they had calculated the time wrong. The local god wasn’t born for another 3 hours; so they would have to wait.
Sometimes, even the “gods” and their “priests” get things wrong; it shouldn’t be surprising that a motivational speaker gets it wrong too. Just who the folks who listen to these “truthsayers”?
From local news reports here in North Texas, at least some of these people apparently got injured when they stopped concentrating on the coal walk. Which would have been, uhh, when they decided to take selfies of themselves walking on the hot coals.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/dozens-injured-walking-hot-coals-tony-robbins-event/story?id=40101235
“…Jacqueline Luxemberg, a participant, told WFAA-TV that many people took selfies and pictures while storming across the bed of hot coals. She speculated that that may have been why so many suffered burns.”
This lady wasn’t just a participant in the motivational speaking event. She completed the fire walk. From the description she gave WFAA, a local ABC affiliate, it sounds like people walked on the coals in a line; they didn’t get to be the only one on the coals at a time. So if the person ahead of you decides to take selfies they slow up the parade.
I wish I could find the original WFAA report, which actually quoted her.
I’ve heard similar stories from a couple of different sources. All in all, it just makes a really bad idea sound even worse.
“Socko”? Context makes it clear, but it’s a strange adjective that I’ve never seen before. I won’t accept it until it’s been around for decades and shown its worth. Besides, there are two married chess masters from Poland, Bartosz and Monika Socko, with whom I’m much more likely to associate that set of letters. (I bellieve they’re spouses, anyway.)
Philip:
“Socko” has been around since 1938. This dictionary says it’s been around since the 1920s. Almost a hundred years!
Well! Strange that I don’t remember ever having heard it in all that time. Maybe it’s a regionalism?