A few of us were chatting over a cup of tea about the hallmarks of adventurers, and a big one kept coming up. The ability to deal mentally and emotionally when things go pear shaped is crucial in serious adventure. You find this stoicism is especially important when you’ve put everything you have into a project only to find out it won’t succeed, or worse – life and limb is at risk.
Some of the physical and mental situations that adventurers put themselves in, or have thrust upon them, are quite incomprehensible.
We know that adventurers are still human, despite their herculean efforts, which means something must keep them going, especially when it’s all gone wrong. This is really all about gathering yourself, both emotionally keeping it together and, mentally, coming up with the next course of action.
The grit, the insistency, the staunch unfaltering strength of mind to persist towards their aim or, if that fails, to persist towards their salvage, unshaken despite obstacles and challenges, THAT is truly a characteristic of an adventurer.
Take Captain Robert Falcon Scott for example, who, with his team, were so determined to be the first men to the South Pole that it cost their lives. Having battled the elements and slow degradation of their physical bodies for months, it is hard to imagine the emotions that Captain Scott and his team would have experienced upon arrival at the South Pole, only to discover the Norwegian flag flying in the freezing wind.
The ultimate in stoicism
At that point I wonder what emotions overtook their determination to set this world record. Disappointment? Obviously. A sense of wasted time and effort? Definitely. But there was an even better response – simply a stoic desire to survive and recognition that now, the only thing they could do was turn around and make sure they get back to safety before the elements got the better of them?
And it was this response that almost saved them, but without it they wouldn’t have stood a chance. Each man had his own internal battles to fight once they’d turned around, knowing that the weather and persisting physical deterioration were now severely conspiring to make the return journey a true push for their lives, while having the emotional baggage that the whole reason they were there was also now negated, and that the Nowegians would have also had a good return weather window. All the downside without any upside. As if the punishment for second place was death.
But they didn’t give up? They didn’t throw it all in in some blind rage or a ‘why me’ emotional response. They didn’t turn on each other or pay any blame game. And they didn’t become so absorbed in their misfortune that they made unncessary mistakes. They knew their own ‘why’s’ and they freely accepted the potential ups and downs of what this expedition was all about. And that’s the crux of the matter. Knowing why you’re there, what it means to you and what getting back means to you.
Having the emotions sorted out will keep clear space for the mental functioning that will actually save you
Level headedness, calmness, coolness, these are the responses of stoicism that both mental and emotional preparation and experience will provide. Panic, fear, anger, a sense of doom, quitting – these are the responses that will happen when there is a lack in this emotional intelligence.
In a more common scenario for any of us adventurous types, a stoic mentality will make ANY negative situation, like getting lost or having an injury, that much better, as it will prevent you from falling into any emotional catastrophising traps or worse, producing an uncontrolled panic response.
As you can see, stoicism is it’s own reward and it has the very large side benefit that it could save your life.
