“But there are men for whom the unattainable has a special attraction. Usually they are not experts: their ambitions and fantasies are strong enough to brush aside the doubts which more cautious men might have. Determination and faith are their strongest weapons. At best such men are regarded as eccentric; at worst, mad...”
― Everest: A Mountaineering History
― Everest: A Mountaineering History
“People ask me, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is of no use.'There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behaviour of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron... If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.”
― Climbing Everest: The Complete Writings of George Mallory
― Climbing Everest: The Complete Writings of George Mallory
“Never let failure discourage you. Every time you get to the base of a mountain (literal or metaphorical), you're presented with a new opportunity to challenge yourself, to push your limits beyond what you thought possible, to learn from climbers on the trail ahead of you, and to take in some amazing views. Your performance on the mountain you climbed last week or last month or last year doesn't matter - because it's all about what you are doing right now.”
― On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership
― On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership
“Almost everyone is obsessed with leaving a mark upon the world. Bequeathing a legacy. Outlasting death. We all want to be remembered. I do, too. That’s what bothers me most, is being another
unremembered casualty in the ancient and inglorious war against disease.”
― The Fault in Our Stars
unremembered casualty in the ancient and inglorious war against disease.”
― The Fault in Our Stars
“It was titillating to brush up against the enigma of mortality, to steal a glimpse across its forbidden frontier. Climbing was a magnificient activity, I firmly believed, not in spite of the inherent perils, but precisely because of them.”
― Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
― Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Ask John Green - January 23, 2013
— 4843 members
— last activity Apr 08, 2025 02:29AM
Join us on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 for a special discussion with award winning author John Green. John will be discussing his work, including his ...more
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