"The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this; What is the use of climbing Mount Everest? and my answer must at once be, it is no use. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever"
- George Leigh Mallory
About this Quote
George Leigh Mallory's quote is a reflection on the futility of trying to climb up Mount Everest. He recommends that there is no concrete benefit to be acquired from the endeavour, which the only benefit is the experience itself. Mallory's words suggest that the difficulty of climbing the mountain is its own benefit, and that the sense of achievement and individual growth that comes from such a feat is enough to validate the effort. His words also suggest that the journey is more vital than the location, which the experience of the climb is more valuable than any product gain. In this method, Mallory's quote serves as a suggestion that life has to do with the journey, not the location, and that the experiences we have along the way are more crucial than any product gain.
"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour?"