Overconfidence can be foolhardiness. It is advisable to develop self-confidence but one should be at the same time aware of human limitations in the realm of nature. This aware comes from correct information, judgment, reason and even imagination.

The character in the story had little or none of these. All he knew and cared about was making it on foot to Henderson Creek by six in the evening with friends. All he envisioned and provided for was "looking into possibilities of getting out logs from the Yukon (London)," capped by fire and supper. He had nothing but sheer confidence, or overconfidence that bordered on silliness or stupidity, about what he wanted to achieve. Although he was used to the cold, as he descended from a family of survivors of the cod, this was his first Arctic winter in the Yukon. And he thought of negotiating a mile or 10 covered...
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