The word grit has so many different definitions because it changes depending on people’s backgrounds, cultures, families and even societies. But, there is one indisputable definition for grit. Grit is the ability to overcome all types of mental, physical, and metaphysical challenges whether they are self-driven or forced upon you. In all of these types of challenges, humans are pushed to their limits. Angela Lee Duckworth stated in her article about grit, “People with grit are not always the people with the most natural ability, but their work ethic and ability to overcome obstacles allows them to achieve success. Grit is a very valuable characteristic in almost any venture, as it gives someone an advantage in overcoming the inevitable obstacles they will face.”
Climbing Mount Everest is no easy task. In Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer showed grit time and time again. He went through the toughest challenges on his journey in the Himalayas. “I was physically and emotionally wrecked after having spent an hour scouring the South Col for Andy Harris; the search had left me convinced that he was dead.” (Krakauer, 1999, p. 257) Not only did Krakauer have to deal with the physical toll of getting through the storm alive, he had to get over the obstacle of realizing that all his friends were dead. He dealt with the survivor’s guilt of being one of the only two people to make it out alive that climbing season. He was the one who had to inform the deceased’s family and friends about their passing away. But Krakauer didn’t let this grief cloud his judgment on his way back down. He still needed to survive, and his clear and focused mind allowed him to do so. He stayed as calm as …show more content…
The way Jon Krakauer, Juliane Koepcke, and myself were able to overcome our own physically, mentally, and metaphysically challenging hardships, whether they were self-driven or forced upon us, is the true meaning of
Climbing Mount Everest is no easy task. In Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer showed grit time and time again. He went through the toughest challenges on his journey in the Himalayas. “I was physically and emotionally wrecked after having spent an hour scouring the South Col for Andy Harris; the search had left me convinced that he was dead.” (Krakauer, 1999, p. 257) Not only did Krakauer have to deal with the physical toll of getting through the storm alive, he had to get over the obstacle of realizing that all his friends were dead. He dealt with the survivor’s guilt of being one of the only two people to make it out alive that climbing season. He was the one who had to inform the deceased’s family and friends about their passing away. But Krakauer didn’t let this grief cloud his judgment on his way back down. He still needed to survive, and his clear and focused mind allowed him to do so. He stayed as calm as …show more content…
The way Jon Krakauer, Juliane Koepcke, and myself were able to overcome our own physically, mentally, and metaphysically challenging hardships, whether they were self-driven or forced upon us, is the true meaning of