Meaning of Life according to George Mallory, pioneer of Mount Everest

bulaohu

An short but intriguing read



Second from left, back row



Nowadays, it seems that every adventurous pursuit must have deeper meaning or purpose — to raise awareness of climate change (note: we’re aware) or generate funds for some worthy charity. Nothing wrong with that. But in 1922, responding to questions about his attempt to climb Mt. Everest, George Mallory put the whole thing in perspective.

“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. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior 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. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It’s no use. So, 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 enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.”



http://www.adventure-journal.com ... he-meaning-of-life/

floraz

Very interesting!
I bet the question would come from an utilitarist, who determine the worth of an action by its usefulness.

ah123

用匿名版的标准回答就是：这是个炫耀贴。

其实，平行世界是真的存在的。

K

mt everest... olympics... moon landings... they are pretty much all useless... but it represents the human endeavour and the human spirit... like a beacon of light in the dark and stormy sea, it gives people hope. Hope is what we really live for...

but then again.... it is also nothing more than a representation of "look at meeee, I've done this.... and it's awesomely awesome deed in this impressively awesome way that not many people will do it as awesomely as me, yea.... I'm aaawwwwwweeeessome..."

I'm sure when neil armstrong landed on the moon, he was yelling in his head "look-at-meeee!!!" and not thinking "oh yeaaa I'm doing this to give cancer patients hopeeee!".... a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind my arse... where did we, mankind, leap to? I wonder...

afterall... the meaning of life is... 42 (hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy)

bulaohu

原帖由 K 于 2011-6-23 17:11 发表
mt everest... olympics... moon landings... they are pretty much all useless... but it represents the human endeavour and the human spirit... like a beacon of light in the dark and stormy sea, it gives ...

I'm sure you'll find a good friend in Marvin!

K

aww marvin the paranoid androiddd lol

bulaohu

I didn't mean he's paranoid - I meant the pessimistic aura of him ;)

floraz

原帖由 bulaohu 于 2011-6-24 01:56 发表
I didn't mean he's paranoid - I meant the pessimistic aura of him ;)

Sorry I laughed

K

nah that's the name of the android. marvin the paranoid android... =)

anywayyyyy pessimism crucial, it is what keeps us aliveeee =)

JuJu

haha, this is very funny, I love Marvin, he is my favorite robot, Life? Don't talk to me about life...

K does sound like Marvin or Adams, who obviously does not have high opinion of people who are impressed by their own sense of self importance or the importance of glorious words.

K

Then I guess I will have to beg you to read my post again Mr JuJu =)
I have high opinions of them (the latter part of my first sentence), however, they are not doing it selflessly... if you know what I mean =)
The meaning of life can't really be defined objectively.

[ 本帖最后由 K 于 2011-7-8 02:30 编辑 ]