The ‘Survivor’ Within

The commentary by Diane Werts tells us more about her, I suspect, than how the rest of us are reacting to observing others under stress (“Reality Shows Fill an Urge to Cut Others Down to Size,” July 3).

I have nothing but admiration for that family enduring the discomforts of 1900 life. As for the personalities on “Survivor,” of course we judge them--that’s what the show is about: Who will go next? Who will survive to the end? But the more persistent and judgmental questions that nag most of us as we watch the weekly whittling down are: How would I react? How would I perform? How would I be judged?

The value of these shows is not that they encourage us to feel superior, but that they provide us an opportunity to do some self-examination without having to go through the misery of corsets or sand fleas.

C.J. WRIGHT

Venice