Anadventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimesrisky.[1] Adventures may be activities with danger such astraveling,exploring,skydiving,mountain climbing,scuba diving,river rafting, or otherextreme sports. Adventures are often undertaken to create psychologicalarousal or in order to achieve a greater goal, such as the pursuit ofknowledge that can only be obtained by such activities.
Adventurous experiences create psychologicalarousal,[2] which can be interpreted as negative (e.g.fear) or positive (e.g.flow). For some people, adventure becomes a major pursuit in and of itself. According to adventurerAndré Malraux, in hisMan's Fate (1933), "If a man is not ready to risk his life, where is his dignity?"
Similarly,Helen Keller stated that "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."[3]
Outdoor adventurous activities are typically undertaken for the purposes ofrecreation orexcitement: examples areadventure racing andadventure tourism. Adventurous activities can also lead to gains in knowledge, such as those undertaken by explorers and pioneers – the British adventurerJason Lewis, for example, uses adventures to draw globalsustainability lessons from living within finite environmental constraints on expeditions to share with schoolchildren.Adventure education intentionally uses challenging experiences forlearning.
AuthorJon Levy suggests that an experience should meet several criteria to be considered an adventure:[4]
Some of the oldest and most widespread stories in the world are stories of adventure, such asHomer'sOdyssey.[5][6][7]
Theknight errant was the form the "adventure seeker" character took in theLate Middle Ages.
Adventure fiction exhibits these "protagonist on adventurous journey" characteristics, as do many popular featurefilms, such asStar Wars[8] andRaiders of the Lost Ark.[9]
Marvel Comics,DC Comics, and othercomic book publishers often use "adventurer"—or, in some cases, "costumed adventurer" or "superhuman adventurer"—as a synonym for "super-hero."
Adventure books may have the theme of the hero or main character going to face thewilderness orMother Nature. Examples include books such asHatchet orMy Side of the Mountain. These books are less about "questing", such as in mythology or other adventure novels, but more aboutsurviving on their own, living off the land, gaining new experiences, and becoming closer to the natural world.
Many adventures are based on the idea of a quest: the hero goes off in pursuit of a reward, whether it be a skill, prize, treasure, or perhaps the safety of a person. On the way, the hero must overcome various obstacles to obtain their reward.
Invideo game culture, an adventure game is avideo game in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration andpuzzle solving.[10] Thegenre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from othernarrative-based media,literature andfilm, encompassing a wide variety of literary genres. Many adventure games (text andgraphic) are designed for a single player, since this emphasis on story and character makes multi-player design difficult.[11]
From ancient times, travelers and explorers have written about their adventures.[12] Journals which became best-sellers in their day were written, such asMarco Polo's journalThe Travels of Marco Polo orMark Twain'sRoughing It. Others were personal journals, only later published, such as the journals ofMeriwether Lewis andWilliam Clark orCaptain James Cook's journals. There are also books written by those not directly a part of the adventure in question, such asThe Right Stuff byTom Wolfe or books written by those participating in the adventure but in a format other than that of a journal, such asConquistadors of the Useless byLionel Terray. Documentaries often use the theme of adventure as well.
There are many sports classified as adventure sports, due to their inherent danger and excitement. Some of these includemountain climbing,skydiving, or otherextreme sports.[13]
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