Climbing Higher: Answering the Big Questions

by Robert Wheeler

Not everyone climb mountains, however stories of climbing adventures provide insight into the adventure of life that we all share: overcoming obstacles and reaching out to something bigger and higher than immediate daily activities. History and psychology indicate that this is a strong human need that includes having a sense of meaning and purpose. Mountains can symbolize obstacles in meeting these needs, and experiences in climbing mountains provide a vehicle both actually and figuratively for exploring mechanisms and impacts involved.The book begins with a personal experience climbing Mount Fuji that nearly ended in disaster, with the question of why people do such things. Subsequent chapters alternate between mountain climbing experiences and research results about why people pursue difficult tasks. A bottom-up approach supports culminating proposals of spirituality as a universal personality trait, nognosticism that recognizes knowledge is limited, ecumenical humanism for religious tolerance, and the philosophy of pragmatic pluralism. For life to be meaningful and manageable, people need a sense of purpose and coherence that is best met by having belief in a higher transcendent realm while also having enough doubt about its nature or validity to pursue a quest for ultimate reality despite the great paradox.

332 pages, Paperback

Published May 29, 2019

About the author

Dr. Robert Wheeler developed a keen interest in the view people have about meaning and purpose in their lives during 20 years of military experience working with people of various cultures as an infantryman, aviator, engineer, advisor, and research & development coordinator.

For another 20 years, he filled positions in academia where his major work was research about personality characteristics that contribute to health, well-being, and performance. He developed measuring instruments and performed analyses for health promotion programs to assist participants, determine effectiveness, and increase knowledge of health enhancement and quality of life improvement.