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
You have to remember this was the '60s, when climbing was dangerous and sex was safe.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the contrasting risks of climbing versus sexual freedom in the 1960s.
Yvon Chouinard's quote captures the essence of the 1960s, a time marked by significant cultural shifts where climbing was viewed as a perilous adventure, while sexual exploration became seen as a liberated and safe experience. This juxtaposition highlights the changing perceptions of danger and freedom during that era, where engaging in high-risk activities like rock climbing stood in stark contrast to the burgeoning sexual liberation movement.
Themes
ClimbingSexRisk1960SAdventureFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on cultural shifts, I quoted Yvon Chouinard to illustrate the contrasting views on risk and freedom in the 60s.
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.
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We're a part of nature. As we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. It's a selfish thing to want to protect nature.
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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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