First, I am afraid to die and I love to live. But an adventure is only an adventure when there is the threat of dying.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the tension between the fear of death and the joy of living, suggesting that true adventures are defined by risk.
Reinhold Messner, an accomplished mountaineer, captures the complex interplay between life and death in this quote. He acknowledges a deep fear of mortality, which contrasts sharply with his passion for living life to the fullest. By stating that 'an adventure is only an adventure when there is the threat of dying,' Messner implies that the greatest experiences often come with inherent risks, thrilling us and pushing us to confront our fears. Ultimately, this reflection emphasizes that embracing life includes accepting the uncertainties that accompany it.
In practice
In a motivational speech about chasing dreams, one might say, 'Remember, true adventure comes with risks, as Reinhold Messner beautifully stated.'
I became famous for the fact that I would break many, many limits. People said, 'He does all these crazy things.' But oddly it was a crazy thing only because scientists and climbers said, 'Everest and the 8,000-meter peaks without oxygen - impossible. Messner is becoming sick in his head.'
A 30-year-old rock climber is an old man. At 40, one is in the middle of his high-altitude power. At 50, a crosser of deserts is at his best age. But at 60, each of us is out of the game.
I think my cultural work is more important than the adventures I did. The adventures are not important for human beings. It's the conquering of the useless.
In mountaineering, there is not only the activity, but the philosophy behind it. Some say a moral, but I am against that because all morality is dangerous.
I was the first man to climb the world's 14 tallest peaks without supplementary oxygen, but I never asked how high I would go, just how I would do it.
In my state of spiritual abstraction, I no longer belong to myself and to my eyesight. I am nothing more than a single narrow gasping lung, floating over the mists and summits.
For the only great men among the unfree and the oppressed are those who struggle to destroy the oppressor.
I have made speeches urging women to adopt methods of rebellion such as have been adopted by men in every revolution.
It is something that is called MDS. It is a rare blood disorder that affects the bone marrow. I'm going to beat this. My doctors say it and my faith says it.
The spirit of her invincible heart guided her through the shadows.
I had used eclectic therapy and behavior therapy on myself at the age of 19 to get over my fear of public speaking and of approaching young women in public.
What I do with my work is, I give women permission to be angry. Because that's our right. Because it's an emotion. Because it's been taken away from us. Because we've been silenced.
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