There's no difference between a pessimist who says, "Oh it's hopeless, so don't bother doing anything." and an optimist who says, "Don't bother doing anything, it's going to turn out fine anyways. Either way, nothing happens."
Yvon ChouinardRead
The reason it was so scary was that there was only one climber capable of rescuing us, and that was Layton Kor, and he was in Colorado.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Courage can come from relying on the skills of others in dire situations.
This quote highlights the feeling of fear that arises when we face danger and are dependent on one individual's expertise to save us. It reflects not only the anxiety of being in a challenging situation but also the trust and belief we place in someone else's abilities, underscoring the importance of courage both in facing adversity and in depending on the strengths of others.
Themes
CourageFearTrustRescueAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a motivational speech about the importance of trusting experts during crises.
More from Yvon Chouinard
All quotes βI think risk is important. I don't care if it's a great financial risk or a physical risk. You only get out of something what you put into it and the fact that you are willing to risk something means that you are going to get a lot more out of it.
Yvon ChouinardRead
The solution may be for a lot of the world's problems is to turn around and take a forward step. You can't just keep trying to make a flawed system work.
Yvon ChouinardRead
We're a part of nature. As we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. It's a selfish thing to want to protect nature.
Yvon ChouinardRead
Evil doesnβt have to be an overt act; it can be merely the absence of good. If you have the ability, the resources, and the opportunity to do good and you do nothing, that can be evil.
Yvon ChouinardRead
The future of Yosemite climbing lies not in Yosemite, but in using the new techniques in the great granite ranges of the world.
Yvon ChouinardRead
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