The two great risks are risking too much but also risking too little. That's for each person to decide. For me, not risking anything is worse than death. By far.
Interpretation
Taking risks is essential for personal growth, but it is important to find a balance in how much to risk.
In this quote, Jimmy Chin emphasizes the importance of risk-taking in life. He suggests that both extremes—taking excessive risks and being overly cautious—carry significant consequences. For him, the absence of risk is a more daunting prospect than facing potential failure or hardship, highlighting a belief in the value of pushing boundaries and embracing challenges as a means to truly live life. Each individual must navigate their own threshold for risk, but the underlying message is one of courage and the pursuit of meaningful experiences.
In practice
This quote can be used during a motivational speech to inspire individuals to embrace risks in their lives.
On climbs, there is a general way we manage fear. We look at things objectively, separating out perceived risk from real risk. You can really bring down the level of fear by knowing the real risks and setting aside the others. You also know that panicking just makes things worse.
You learn over years of expeditions that having faith, and putting one foot in front of the other, you do end up pulling off climbs that seem completely impossible. There's a certain beauty to that. It has an allure.
You do wonder - when you are at 28,000 feet, the height that aeroplanes cruise at, when you are struggling to draw breath and every limb aches - why do I do this?
Becoming a parent has changed the risk calculus for me. But it might be age, too, and seeing a lot of friends die in the mountains. Will I take the same risks I took in my 20s? Probably not, but I will always push myself in the mountains.
The mainstream audience has a certain picture of what climbing is all about: man conquering mountain. But you can't conquer a mountain, though it may conquer you.
It's hard to take people seriously who say you're totally irresponsible if you go out and climb mountains when you have kids, because they clearly don't understand the circumstances. You can't impose your own acceptance of risk on other people - that's not fair.
Human misery must somewhere have a stop; there is no wind that always blows a storm; great good fortune comes to failure in the end. All is change; all yields its place and goes; to persevere, trusting in what hopes he has, is courage in a man. The coward despairs.
I carry with me many scars, but I also carry with me moments that would not have happened if I had not dared to go beyond my limits
I do not murmur, even if my heart break.
I hope you either take up parachute jumping or stay out of single motored airplanes at night.
We show up to fight racism, anti-black racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, misogyny, patriarchy, anti-Semitism, because after Donald Trump is out of office, there will still be all those things here.
I'm not going to run, I'm going to stand here and watch. Every blow will cut into my heart, and tell me who and what you are.
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