Hubris, in a nutshell, is overconfidence. It is an illogical feeling of confidence and ability, and in the context of the ancient Greeks from whom the word came, it described a person who dared to challenge the gods. Chris McCandless was neither the first nor the last man to meet an unfortunate end due to hubris.

In the context of Into the Wild, it is debatable whether or not Chris was guilty of hubris. On the one hand, he simply wanted to challenge himself and see if he could live off the land. On the other hand, he was angry with his father, and was arguably guilty of hubris in believing that he didn't need anyone or anything. He journeyed into Alaska with some experience of the wilderness, but with little knowledge of the Alaskan flora and fauna, and even less equipment.

There are many examples in his story of Chris behaving recklessly, arguably due to hubris. For example, when he was camping in a dry riverbed in Arizona, his car was flooded. His response was to abandon not only the car, but many of his possessions. When Jim Gallien picks up "Alex," he observes that the gear McCandless is carrying is far too light to be enough to sustain him in the Alaskan wilderness. Contrary to Gallien's advice, Chris heads off alone again.

It is only when Chris finds himself unable to cross the Teklanika River and return to civilization that he seemingly begins to appreciate the gravity of the predicament he has gotten himself into. Until then, he either did not care whether he lived or died, or his hubris had lulled him into a false sense of security.