The Philosopher's Cornered
Issue 7
Rules for Hiking
by Dan Wolaver
![]() So Gardner gave us some advice: (1) Don't rush up the mountain. Take a step, pause a second, then take another—as if you were tired already. That way you won't get tired. When you come to a high step, take two small steps around it. Relax as you walk, and you can hike all day without having to stop from exhaustion. From time to time I would hit my head on a tree that had fallen across the path at the height of my forehead. I didn't see it because I was looking at the path just before my feet so I wouldn't trip or turn my ankle on a rock. So Gardner gave me some more advice: (2) Don't keep your eyes fixed on your feet. If you scan the trail about 20 feet ahead, your mind will remember where you need to place your feet. The tendency is to distrust this ability and to go back to looking down at your feet. Then you not only hit your head on trees—you spend the whole hike watching your feet rather than enjoying the beauty around you. I've found that basically the same rules apply to life in general: (1) Our days are often filled with end-to-end activities
that eventually cause us to collapse from stress and exhaustion. But quality of life isn't measured in the
number of things we accomplish; it's measured in how much we enjoy
others and live harmoniously. Don't combat people; take two small
steps around them and move on. Live easily, and you can keep going
all your life without becoming exhausted. And that's my philosophy. |