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You're Either An Explorer or Not. Which One Are You?: It Simply Didn't Occur To Me That I Might Quit
You're Either An Explorer or Not. Which One Are You?: It Simply Didn't Occur To Me That I Might Quit
Antarctica is unbearable in July. It is so treacherous that in 1911, explorers Apsley Cherry-Garrard, Bill Wilson
and Henry Bowers returned to base camp with shattered teeth and fingernails that hung by invisible threads.
Reports of their journey told of clothing that was forcibly cut from their bodies, as the line between fabric and
skin melted many miles before.
The three men travelled to Cape Crozier to collect samples of Emperor Penguin eggs and help uncover the
evolutionary link between reptiles and birds. For 35 days, they travelled 70 miles in arctic winds and
temperatures that fell below -60C. They marched to their probable deaths.
Now heres the crazy part: all three tortured men went back.
But why did they? What is it about exploration that prompts people to take gigantic risks? Why do some of us
jump into the fear of the unknown even when death is at stake while others of us only dream? Why are we
sitting in our office chairs instead of making our first attempts at the South Pole?
I love the freedom, said Roff Smith, a National Geographic photographer, contributor and expeditions
leader. It comes as a puzzling surprise to me when someone says they are not curious about whats beyond
the next bend.
Smith actively looks for places that represent the edge of the world. One of his most memorable journeys was
a nine-month, 16,000km bike trip around the Australian outback.
It simply didnt occur to me that I might quit.
It was a funny thing. Later, when I was describing some of the difficulties in riding through the Kimberley, the
Great Sandy Desert and the Nullarbor Plain, somebody said they bet I must have thought all the time about
quitting, Smith said. But you know what? It never even occurred to me. Not once. The thought never crossed
my mind. Not because I was being heroic it simply didnt occur to me that I might quit.
Are you a risk taker?
Georgetown University associate professor and
neuroscientist John W Vanmeter studies risk for a living
and has a good idea of why people like Smith never
think about quitting. There are two regions of the brain
that promote and counteract risky behaviour. The
limbic system is driven by novelty and is particularly
sensitive to reward from positive and negative stimuli.
The prefrontal cortex, on the other hand, makes
executive decisions and puts the break on potentially
risky decisions. Those who are driven to explore,
Vanmeter explained, may have more activity in the limbic system.
One persons brain may be more or less developed, Vanmeter said. The connections between these brain
regions may be more finely tuned in one individual than another.
Smith is not alone in feeling rewarded by exploration. Many adventurers get a sense of achievement from
knowing that they conquered their fears or went the distance when others believed they couldnt. Borge
Ousland, a Norwegian polar explorer whos in the process of conquering the worlds 20 greatest icecaps,
believes that adventure helps him feel more connected.
When Im on trips, I am much more present in my own life because I have to focus on the here and now,
Ousland said. Back home, I am always focusing on something happening in the future. [On expeditions], time
stops, and you become like a Stone Age man, acting on instincts and knowing you are a part of the universe.
Thats one of the most valuable feelings I have had.