We will stomp to the top with the wind in our teeth.
George Leigh MalloryRead
The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this; What is the use of climbing Mount Everest? and my answer must at once be, it is no use. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever.
Interpretation
Climbing Mount Everest serves no practical purpose, yet it reflects the human spirit's desire to challenge itself.
George Leigh Mallory's quote about climbing Mount Everest emphasizes that the act of summiting a mountain is not for tangible rewards or gains but rather speaks to the innate human desire to explore, challenge oneself, and seek out experiences regardless of their practicality. The quote suggests that the journey itself and the pursuit of pushing boundaries hold intrinsic value, even if the outcome seems futile.
In practice
In an inspiring speech about resilience, a speaker might state this quote to illustrate the value of hard work and personal challenges.
We will stomp to the top with the wind in our teeth.
Why do we travel to remote locations? To prove our adventurous spirit or to tell stories about incredible things? We do it to be alone amongst friends and to find ourselves in a land without man.
Because it is there [famous explanation for wanting to climb Mount Everest].
For the stone from the top for geologists, the knowledge of the limits of endurance for the doctors, but above all for the spirit of adventure to keep alive the soul of man.
How can we find spiritual meaning in a scientific worldview? Spirituality is a way of being in the world, a sense of one’s place in the cosmos, a relationship to that which extends beyond oneself. . . . Does scientific explanation of the world diminish its spiritual beauty? I think not. Science and spirituality are complementary, not conflicting; additive, not detractive. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades. (158-159)
As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines. Such decline is an alarming symptom of our state of mind. Mankind will not perish for want of information; but only for want of appreciation.
The truth is that, though we were justified by faith alone, the faith that justifies is never alone (it always produces fruit, 'good works,'...a transformed life).
Those who, like the beasts, have no such Hope, pass their old age shrouded with an inward gloom.
I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.
I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place. We are a motley crew, distinguished not only by our inability to explain ourselves to those who are more certain of their beliefs than we are but in many cases by our distance from the centers of our faith communities as well.
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