It takes a long time to separate oneself from the prevailing culture, even if only partially, and to be able to see philosophy and history through less contaminated lenses. Sometimes a lifetime is not enough. That is why it is fortunate for those who manage to define early on what they want from their studies, and then draw up a more or less defined research plan. With a visible goal, it is easier to delve deeper and consequently discover what, at first, did not even hint at existing. From there, a new world opens up, permanently alienating those who can see it. The effort pays off, although it is certainly not a painless process.
Tag: behavior
Sometimes It Is Strange to Get Used…
Sometimes it is strange to get used to the heroes of great literature, and then turn our eyes to the real example of an ordinary failed life. In great literature, the hero may not always venture out as Joseph Campbell would have it, but he is not wrong to note that the hero tends to evolve and learn. This is, in fact, the expected effect of years in the course of a life. Then we see the real example of someone who does not seem to have learned anything, who has not matured at all; someone who stumbled when he was young and continues to stumble when he is old. It is strange because it seems an almost insulting waste, a fierce, inhuman refusal to learn lessons from experience. That is the only real failure: not making the most of what was lived.
The Feeling of Danger
Says the hunter Jim Corbett, in Man-Eaters of Kumaon:
I have made mention elsewhere of the sense that warns us of impending danger, and will not labour the subject further beyond stating that this sense is a very real one and that I do not know, and therefore cannot explain, what brings it into operation. On this occasion I had neither heard nor seen the tigress, nor had I received any indication from bird or beast of her presence and yet I knew, without any shadow of doubt, that she was lying up for me among the rocks.
And again:
The premonition of impending danger is too well known and established a fact to need any comment. For three or four minutes I had stood perfectly still with no thought of danger and then all at once I became aware that the tiger was looking at me at a very short range. The same sense that had conveyed the feeling of impending danger to me had evidently operated in the same way on the tiger and awakened him from his sleep.
Now it’s mountaineer Joe Simpson, in Touching the Void:
As I climbed up to rejoin his tracks it occurred to me that I had felt a moment of anxiety only minutes before Simon had fallen. I had noticed this in the past and always wondered about it. There had been no good reason for the sudden stab of worry.
And again:
I wanted to sleep. I couldn’t be bothered to move any more. I was warm enough sleeping on the snow. The storm would cover me like a husky and keep me warm. I nearly slept, dozing fitfully, edging close to the dark comfort of sleep, but the wind kept waking me. I tried to ignore the voice, which urged me to move, but couldn’t because the other voices had gone. I couldn’t lose the voice in daydreams. ‘…don’t sleep, don’t sleep, not here. Keep going. Find a slope and dig a snow hole… don’t sleep.’
Once experienced, the reality of such a feeling is put beyond question. And it would be no exaggeration to say that adventurers like those mentioned above depend on it and trust it. The examples could go on and on… In extreme situations, for some reason, something happens. Whether the perception of danger is dependent on total absorption in the environment, cannot be said. But something happens, and perception screams out even without the support of the “traditional” senses. In many ways, man is far more interesting and complex than is often assumed…
Few Things Are as Satisfying as Acquiring…
Few things are as satisfying as acquiring a new skill, that is, being able to do something one could not do before. The sensation is all too gratifying, and sometimes proves wrong the judgment one made of the possibilities. It is difficult to measure human capabilities: the body and mind can often withstand more than is supposed. With practice and determination, wonders occur; and can hardly be equaled the satisfaction of looking back and seeing that, through one’s own efforts, it was possible to become capable.