Having had to encounter single-handed during his period of eclipse many physical dangers, he was well aware of the most dangerous element common to them all: of the crushing, paralyzing sense of human littleness, which is what really defeats a man struggling with natural forces, alone, far from the eyes of his fellows.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Physical dangers are less threatening than the psychological sense of smallness and isolation when facing nature alone.
- In plain terms
- Being alone with nature makes you feel small and weak more than the dangers do.
- What can you take from it?
- Fear often comes from isolation not the danger itself.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes you feel most vulnerable?
- How does isolation affect courage?
Another view
It undervalues the real physical risks of extreme environments.
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