I think my cultural work is more important than the adventures I did. The adventures are not important for human beings. It's the conquering of the useless.
Interpretation
The essence of cultural work outweighs personal adventures as it contributes more profoundly to humanity.
Reinhold Messner emphasizes the significance of cultural contributions over personal adventures, suggesting that the work one does to enrich culture and society is of greater value than individual experiences. He posits that true achievement lies in overcoming trivial pursuits and fostering meaningful development that benefits humanity as a whole.
In practice
In a discussion about priorities in life, one might quote Messner to stress the importance of contributing to society over personal gains.
I became famous for the fact that I would break many, many limits. People said, 'He does all these crazy things.' But oddly it was a crazy thing only because scientists and climbers said, 'Everest and the 8,000-meter peaks without oxygen - impossible. Messner is becoming sick in his head.'
A 30-year-old rock climber is an old man. At 40, one is in the middle of his high-altitude power. At 50, a crosser of deserts is at his best age. But at 60, each of us is out of the game.
In mountaineering, there is not only the activity, but the philosophy behind it. Some say a moral, but I am against that because all morality is dangerous.
I was the first man to climb the world's 14 tallest peaks without supplementary oxygen, but I never asked how high I would go, just how I would do it.
In my state of spiritual abstraction, I no longer belong to myself and to my eyesight. I am nothing more than a single narrow gasping lung, floating over the mists and summits.
I go to the mountains for an adventure and each time I pray I will get up and down again.
The Human Species could have been great but instead we became satisfied with lights on our tennis shoes.
I always have a high regard for the individual and have an insuperable distaste for violence and clubmanship. All these motives made me into a passionate pacifist and anti-militarist. I am against any nationalism, even in the guise of mere patriotism. Privileges based on position and property have always seemed to me unjust and pernicious, as did any exaggerated personality cult.
Among the attributes of God, although they are equal, mercy shines with even more brilliance than justice.
Whose rights will we acknowledge? Whose human dignity will we respect? For whose well-being will we, as a people, assume responsibility?
I am not afraid that the book will be controversial, I'm afraid it will not be controversial.
In dreams begin responsibilities.
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