Cynicism is the easiest of all reactions, right? But it's also so disappointing and self-defeating.
Chris HadfieldRead
Spacewalking trumps everything. Viscerally, it is a phenomenal place to be; to be able to glance right and see the world, glance left and see the universe, and realise for a moment that you're holding on to your known existence with one hand. That's the thing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Spacewalking offers an unparalleled perspective on existence and the universe.
This quote by Chris Hadfield reflects the profound and transformative experience of spacewalking, where one can simultaneously see Earth and the vastness of the universe. The act of floating in space brings a fresh awareness of our fragile existence and our connection to something much larger, inspiring both awe and a sense of responsibility towards life on Earth.
Themes
SpaceExistencePerspectiveUniverseEarth
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about exploration, one might say, 'As Chris Hadfield said, spacewalking trumps everything, showcasing the beauty and fragility of our existence.'
More from Chris Hadfield
All quotes →The Nile, draining out into the Mediterranean. The bright lights of Cairo announce the opening of the north-flowing river’s delta, with Jerusalem’s answering high beams to the northeast. This 4,258 mile braid of human life, first navigated end-to-end in 2004, is visible in a single glance from space.
Chris HadfieldRead
The world, when you look at it, it just can't be random. I mean, it's so different than the vast emptiness that is everything else, and even all the other planets we've seen, at least in our solar system, none of them even remotely resemble the precious life-giving nature of our own planet.
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Life off Earth is in two important respects not at all unworldly: you can choose to focus on the surprises and pleasures, or the frustrations. And you can choose to appreciate the smallest scraps of experience, the everyday moments, or to value only the grandest, most stirring ones.
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Our role is to develop techniques that allow us to provide emergency life-saving procedures to injured patients in an extreme, remote environment without the presence of a physician.
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Although simulators are great for building step-by-step knowledge of a procedure, the worst thing that can happen in a sim is that you get a bad grade on your performance.
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