The Bear's Mercy vs. The Man's Malice

My feeds are filled with the question: "Would you rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear?" It's a question that sparks both curiosity and fear. Concerned fathers asked who the man was and if he was good. The answer is always the same: you don't know.

I often wonder what it is like to be a man. Do they look over their shoulders constantly when walking to their cars in a parking lot, ensuring they're not being followed? Do they run and hike in peace with both headphones in their ears? Do men fear men?

When contemplating who I'd rather be in the forest with, I choose the bear. A bear has the ability to kill me or leave me alone; the man has a thousand possibilities. The bear lives in the forest, but the man probably followed me there. If the bear killed me, I would know it did what it needed to do to survive, without deriving twisted enjoyment from my suffering.

If the bear killed me, there would be no question about the nature of my death. People would recognize it as an act of nature. I wouldn't have to prove I had been attacked by a bear. The bear wouldn't try to convince me it was "one of the good bears" to gain my trust. If I survived the attack, no one would ask, "What were you wearing to cause the bear to attack?"

I wouldn't have to see the bear at family functions where it would be praised, and my attack disregarded. People wouldn't call me unreasonable for being afraid of bears if I survived. The bear would end my pain faster, while the man would take his time before ending it.

"When I die, leave my body in the woods, for the wolves will be gentler than any man."