After Running

We don’t really learn; we just stop when we become exhausted.

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

I enjoy watching true crime documentaries; there’s something fascinating about getting a peek into the mind of a criminal. I like hearing stories about why someone did what they did, their incentives and calculations, and why they thought they could get away with it.

(I’m fascinated by anything that psychology can explore. This is just one of the many aspects of its applications that I enjoy.)

I remember interesting stories from the documentary I (Almost) Got Away with It, which is about prison escapees who almost got away with attempting to escape from prison.

The stories were fascinating, but even more educating was how they all ended the same way. A prisoner escapes, he’s on the run. He has an edge at first, and he uses it. But law enforcement only needs time.

He steals this car and dumps it there; he cannot stay in one motel for too long. He must eat, but he doesn’t have any money. Someone could identify him; he cannot contact family. He cannot sleep for too long. Paranoia and sleep deprivation make him almost crazy.

Overall, by the time he is cornered, he is usually too exhausted. His being captured is a relief. He wanted to escape, but he’s actually happy to be arrested. He was simply too exhausted to keep running.

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You will be surprised at how this image of a cornered prison escapee reveals so much about how our lives usually unfold.