24. Win or lose in a contest?
WIN A CAR CONTEST
Who will be the winner in a touch-a-car winning contest?
There is a contest event happening in town, the contest started with some 400 participants. All the participants are very fit people.
The rules of the car-touching contest are:
1) Each participant needs to use a hand hold-on to a car's windscreen for a few days. Without removing his/her hand from the windscreen, the last person who can remain standing and holding a car is the winner.
2) Participants need to stand in a hand-still position and are being exposed to outdoor weather conditions: standing days and nights under the hot sun, wind or rain .
3) For every one hour they are allowed to take a rest for 5 mins.
Here is my general observation of the contest:
After 48 hours into the contest I saw 70+ participants survived.
After 60 hours into the contest there were 17 participants remaining.
After 70 hours into the contest I saw 7 remaining.
After 74 hours, I witness four particapinats remaining . Let me call them A (a lady ) Three men B, C and D. ( note that most of the people can not withstand the body pressure and boredom more than three days of standing still.)
Out of these four contestnats, A and B have slim chance to win. C D have better chance.
Why? Here is my reason
A and B are physically weak.
C and D show no sign of fatique.
"A" showed sign of tiredness and "B" body is too tensed up. "B" should relax himself abit more and not thinking of winning or losing the contest. What he needs to do is to have positive mindset, think about good things in life and forget about winning or losing. Friends around him can bring energy to him and at the same time they could distract him.
It does not matter to me who will win. At a final count down the one who can keep his/her mind still who will be the winner.
They need strong body first to outlast other poor participants but in order to win a car he/she needs a strong mind.
The winner is ...
At 76 hours into the contest, my view was proven correct, that is C and D remain as the final two contestants.
I wish C and D well. You are the winner in my eyes.
My biggest question is.. Is it worth it?
.....
However the biggest winners are the organsisers of the contest and the car maker!!!.
An appeal to the event organiser,friends and the car donor:
I appeal to everyone logic and the human dignity.
Do you want to try out for yourself of 4 days and 3 nights standing still without sleep?
Human brain is created to have sleep every night. Deprivation of sleep is very damaging to the brain. The damage could be an irreversible process.
Would you consider allow someone who is your friend or relative to take part in this creative but cruel event?
"Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star."
"What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."
Upon reflection. I think you would come to the same conclusion with Confucian.
Facts on Poor Sleep Consequences
We may want to remind ourselves the side effects of poor sleep habits. Excerpt from an indiantvnews below:
1. Short sleep duration ( <5 or 5-6 hours ) increased risk for high BP by 350% to 500% compared to those who slept longer than 6 hours per night. Paper published in 2009. As you know, high BP kills.
2. Young people ( 25-49 years of age ) are twice as likely to get high BP if they sleep less. Paper published in 2006.
3. Individuals who slept less than 5 hours a night had a 3-fold increased risk of heart attacks. Paper published in 1999.
4. Complete and partial lack of sleep increased the blood concentrations of High sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-cRP), the strongest predictor of heart attacks. Even after getting adequate sleep later, the levels stayed high!!
5. Just one night of sleep loss increases very toxic substances in body such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (cRP). They increase risks of many medical conditions, including cancer, arthritis and heart disease. Paper published in 2004.
6. Sleeping for <=5 hours per night leads to 39% increase in heart disease. Sleeping for <=6 hours per night leads to 18% increase in heart disease. Paper published in 2006.
Do have a wise decision next year.
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