Heroes

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest, says, "I was just an enthusiastic mountaineer of modest abilities who was willing to work quite hard and had the necessary imagination and determination . . . I have enjoyed great satisfaction from my climb of Everest. But my most worthwhile things have been the building of schools and medical clinics. That has given me more satisfaction than a footprint on a mountain" (Mortenson and Relin 129, 130). This sentiment sounds a lot like Greg Mortenson and his reasons for wanting to build schools in Pakistan.

Why do you think people like Sir Edmund Hillary and Greg Mortenson find more satisfaction giving rather then taking?

Comments

  1. SantoyoSeptember 30, 2009 at 7:24 PM

    Students from USA are given more than enough in education and unfortunate most students do not realize it. They take advantage of the opportunities and dont know how to value the stuff we are being offered. Unlike kids from pakistan who actually DO want to learn are unfortunate with not even having schools to recieve education from. Situations like these are reasons i believe make Mortenson and sir Hillary realize they should give all they can to those who are in need and will appriciate values they will be given without recieving anything in return.

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  2. martha GunawanOctober 4, 2009 at 9:05 PM

    The spirit of the children in Pakistan has touched the conscience of Greg Mortenson and Sir Edmund Hillary. The children are willing to do anything so that they can study. Although there isn't any teacher, they are willing to teach themselves. While in U.S., children are given many facilities and opportunity to go to school, but some children don't want to study as hard as they can. This reality has driven Greg Mortenson and Sir Edmund Hillary to help the children.

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  3. UnknownOctober 6, 2009 at 9:38 PM

    They feel compassion toward helping others because they have done so much and want to give others the chance to do so as well. Both Mortenson and Hillary spend their lives doing what makes them feel great, which is climbing mountain and the feeling of concurring an obstacle. And now their wish is to help people, another obstacle that can have the same feeling of success, when what you set out to accomplish is complete.

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