Watching People's First Jump From a High Dive Is Hilarious and Weirdly Inspiring

first time diving
Screengrab via New York Times | Dustin Nelson
Screengrab via New York Times | Dustin Nelson

It's easy to relate to the feeling of trying something new, something frightening, something that will challenge you. But watching other people conquer their fears from a distance is bizarrely intriguing. 

That's what you get here, in a new video from the New York Times Op-Docs series. The short film is called "Ten Meter Tower" and it's nothing more than watching people take their first-ever jump from a 10-meter high dive. It sounds simple enough, but just try to look away after you hit play.

The filmmakers call it a "portrait of humans in doubt." 

"People who have never been up there before have to choose whether to jump or climb down," they write in the synopsis. "The situation itself highlights a dilemma: to weigh the instinctive fear of taking the step out against the humiliation of having to climb down." Of the 67 people filmed for the project, about 70 percent made the leap, according to the filmmakers.

Each of the reactions is unique. Some are funny, some, like the older woman who starts climbing down then decides she has to go for it, are might inspire you to take a chance on something new and challenging.

Most of the divers are oddly relatable, like one of the first divers, who looks down and calls out to a friend unseen, "Don't get me wrong, but it's higher than it looks."

There's also the charming couple who are trying to take inspiration from each other. She asks, "Why have you jumped from five meters before?" He points to the ground, "It's way down there."

Watch the full video above. Then get out there and find your high dive.

h/t Indy 100

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Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He holds a Guinness World Record but has never met the fingernail lady. He’s written for Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal, The Rumpus, and other digital wonderlands. Follow him @dlukenelson.