Philosophy For Polar Explorers
by Erling Kagge, Kenneth Steven
While the idea of spending 50 days in a form of solitary isolation isn’t exactly exciting or pleasurable, imagine mixing in being completely unsupported while trekking across one of the harshest and coldest environments on Earth. Antartica. My guess is that if this happened to you (or me- even though I hate the cold) and you survived, I’m pretty sure that upon arrival back to civilisation that you’d discover that you’d have learned a lot about yourself. Your environment. And also your previous experience, especially that of how you see the world. For it is here, on Erling Kagge’s solo trip to the South Pole, that we learn of his Philosophy For Polar Explorers. The book is broken down in to 16 key lessons and is incredible simple, full of photos and odd graphics that just makes sense.
While at points the book felt childlike, it distills down what exactly that it is that you need to hear for a survival in life, not just at the extremes of the planet, but every day in your own world. It’s therefore because of his refreshing perspective that I really enjoyed the book. That and because I finished it on a tropical beach in the Caribbean while struggling to even remember what cold is. Well that was until I grabbed a beer from bar. #Cheers
For me, a newbie to philosophy, it was an oddly refreshing take on life. It’s not boastful or lecturing. He speaks as he see it. Which is strange as the author was the first person to first person to reach all of the Earth’s poles by foot. thats quote an achievement For the avoidance of any doubt we’re talking about North Pole,South Poland Everest — yeah he did it also in 5 years. Yet he is so humble and incredibly normal.
The book is oddly motivational and humbling. For when you read about people that have achieved so much in life it is easy to think that they always knew Where andWhat stye where doing at all time. This is never the case and is further enforced by the books 16 chapters:
- Set Your Own Compass
- Get Up Early
- Train Yourself in Optimism
- Don’t Fear Your Own Greatness
- Don’t Mistake Probability for Possibility
- Don’t Take Stupid Risks
- Have Something to Lose
- Don’t Chase Happiness, Let It Chase You
- Learn to Be Alone
- Enjoy Small Helpings
- Accept Failure
- Find Freedom in Responsibility
- Make Flexibility a Habit
- Don’t Leave Luck to Chance
- Allow Your Goal to Pursue You
- Reset Your Compass
You could probably take these heading and not read the book and. just apply them to your life and. be fine.
“One of the things I have learned as an explorer is that, every so often along the journey, you have to stop and recalibrate. To take stock of unexpected events or changes in the weather. This book is a recalibration of sorts.” – Erling Kagge
