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summit fever is contagious


<photo: sunrise at peak of Mount Kinabalu>

summit fever is a state of mind in which a person fails to notice dangerous weather, route conditions, physical exertion or refuses to take them into consideration in a single minded attempt to reach the summit.

Jon Krakauer, in his book "Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster" wrote about two climbers who, in their ascent of Everest, walked past dying climbers without offering any help. and their excuse? “We were too tired to help. Above 8,000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality”

8,000 metres and above is what mountaineers call the death zone. at this altitude, there is insufficient oxygen to sustain human life. mount everest is 8848 metres high.

summit fever doesn't just occur on mountains. it also occurs at work, where people climb career ladders, and succumb to summit fever in a winner takes all stakes. promotions, salary increases, a bigger office matters, everything else is secondary.

does the end justify the means, where you want to succeed at any cost? #bcc

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