“And when your life is on the line, things like impressing your friends and buying organic pale in comparison”
I got the impression that it’s missing the end of the sentence. As my english is not good, maybe it’s my fault. Sorry if that is the case.
Parse it as follows:
And when your life is on the line, certain other things (like “impressing your friends” and “buying organic foods”) pale in comparison.
Parse it as follows: And when your life is on the line, certain other things (like “impressing your friends” and “buying organic foods”) pale in comparison.