Comment #12: -- "Because it's there"

Here i am, making dinner, and a thought comes into my head, which is a world looking very much like David Mitchell's Soapbox...


When asked, "Why climb Everest?", or some equivalent question, the response is often "Because it's there".

This argument is all wrong.


People breathe oxygen because it's there.

People watch the News because it's there, on the screen. And you can't do anything about it. (Change the channel - idiot!)

People build ships because the ocean's there. And you really can't do anything about that. (Walk along the bottom?)

People stand on station platforms because the train's going to be there... eventually.


A task that is done "because it's there" is a chore -- that's not a reason in favour of it being done. Certainly not optionally.

People do not climb mountains - real or metaphorical - because they're there.

But people do climb 'mountains'.

They climb them because they want to - because they love the challenge; maybe because it involves athleticism, or intellect, or sex - think of fetishes.

People climb 'mountains' because they enjoy climbing 'mountains'.

Is it really so difficult to just say "Because i enjoy it" ?


I suspect they're trying to avoid making their pursuit seem frivolous.

But to be honest, as long as it isn't displacing a crucial activity that has to be done, and urgently, why does frivolousness matter?

Why perceive frivolity as if it's a bane?

After all, we all need to have fun - to relax - to relieve stress. Stress is bad for health.

And from now on, knowing the puerility of the sentiment "because it's there" is going to stress you out too.

I suppose i ought to apologise!


...sorry.