Storm Beach

This is the strap line for the well known outdoor brand The North Face. You won’t find any adverts here but it turns out they are on to something. I was listening to a podcast (Flow Sessions) with Jason Silva who was interviewing Michael Pollan (author of articles and books about about the places where nature and culture intersect).

They described the difference between childhood and adulthood as explore versus exploit. In our childhood we are busy exploring life. Inquiring, penetrating, examining and traveling. No problem there I thought I am committed to exploring.

The problem is I am also exposed to exploitation. The danger being, if you can’t beat them, join them. Another simple philosophy, but another one that’s harder to put into practice. We notice when we are exploited. And sometimes we notice how we can or have exploited others. The rewards for both are present, but can it be enough to never stop exploring. Or as Glubb delineates in The Fate of Empires, the age of pioneers – fearless, courageous and without constraint, strong virtues of shared purpose, honour and a strict moral code bind them. Quite an apt message with the festive season up on…