The students who were killed in a flash flood on Thursday might not have known exactly what was about to happen, but they had a gut feeling that something was wrong, as we have learned from their instant messaging exchanges. Apparently, because of the pseudo-military nature of the program, they never said anything to the people in charge, who didn't want to cancel the hike. They went along, despite their serious concerns. They went and never came back. You can't always point to the exact danger, but if something sounds bad, and smells bad, something is probably wrong, and it shouldn't be ignored. Young people are more in touch with these feelings than adults, whose senses have become blunted for various reasons and who don't always listen to their inner voices that tell them to turn back.
Our bodies usually know better than we do if something is off. Our senses are sharp enough to smell danger and see and understand that there is a problem, but usually we choose not to listen. We ignore the clear messages and go on, subjugating our feelings to our desires and ignoring warnings. The teens' gut instinct was right. The decision to go on this particular hike probably wasn't theirs. But no one asked them. They took their instructions as an order, as part of the group bonding exercise.
If they had been told to jump off the roof, would they have? The answer is clear. On a hike, the dangers aren't crystal clear until you actually reach the trail, but any risk is unnecessary. Where there is doubt, it's better not to take chances. This means refusing an illegal order. The students apparently felt that refusing to go on the hike would affect their future in the program.
Whoever it was who approved the hike at the last minute, despite the flash flood warnings in the media, despite the teens' gut instincts, is responsible for what happened. It's not only the Education Ministry, the Defense Ministry or the Tourism Ministry. We are all at fault, because we have taught them blind obedience, and we forgot to keep listening to our inner voices, which know the truth better than we do.
