empirics
“At the poles, explorers found themselves caught between what they felt they ought to do and what they had to do. Conflicts between personal ambition and group well-being, between moral rectitude and self-preservation, forced them to make painful choices and then live with the consequences of their decisions. […] Like the knights of medieval legend, polar explorers went forth into unknown territory, faced great obstacles, displayed great courage, and returned home to be greeted as heroes. But, unlike these mythical avatars, the men who went towards the poles did not come back with the same confidence and strength. Something precious had been left there.”
John V.H. Dippel, To the Ends of the Earth: The Truth Behind the Glory of Polar Exploration
