---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Geography was not furthered by the…"
description: "\"Geography was not furthered by the achievement, scientific progress was scarcely hastened, and nothing new was discovered. Yet the names of Hillary and..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/edmund-hillary-3760_achievement_geography-was-not-furthered-by-the-achie_718295.jpg"
---

#  Geography was not furthered by the achievement, scientific…

![“Geography was not furthered by the achievement, scientific progress was scarcely hastened, and nothing new was discovered. Yet the names of Hillary and Tenzing went instantly into all languages as the names of heroes, partly because they really were men of heroic mold but chiefly because they…” quote by Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/edmund-hillary-3760_achievement_geography-was-not-furthered-by-the-achie_718295.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/edmund-hillary-3760_achievement_geography-was-not-furthered-by-the-achie_718295.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/edmund-hillary-3760_achievement_geography-was-not-furthered-by-the-achie_718295.jpg)

> “Geography was not furthered by the achievement, scientific progress was scarcely hastened, and nothing new was discovered. Yet the names of Hillary and Tenzing went instantly into all languages as the names of heroes, partly because they really were men of heroic mold but chiefly because they represented so compellingly the spirit of their time.”

[Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Heroic narratives often celebrate explorers, even when scientific gains are modest, because they embody the era’s spirit and inspire.

**In simple terms:** Heroes are celebrated for embodying their time’s spirit, not just achievements.

Key Takeaway

Recognize symbolic value of heroic stories.

Themes

exploration heroism culture legacy inspiration media

Mood

inspirational reflective analytical

Type

historical cultural

When to use this quote

- education
- museum exhibits
- media coverage
- motivational talks

Key Concepts

mythmaking national identity public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do societies elevate certain figures?
- How can we balance hero worship with factual acknowledgment?

A Different Perspective

Heroes can overshadow scientific contributions.

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[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Geography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geography/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes/) [Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mt everest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mt-everest/) [Nothing new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-new/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientific progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-progress/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

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> [I think my first thought on reaching the summit- of course, I was very, very pleased to be there, naturally - but my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/i-think-my-first-thought-on-reaching-the-summit-of-course-i-was-very/)

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> [Some day I'm going to climb Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/some-day-i-m-going-to-climb-everest/)

[Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/)

> [Mt. Everest of Earth is 8.8 km tall; Mt. Olympus of Mars is 22 km tall. Every time you see a giant, you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/mt-everest-of-earth-is-8-8-km-tall-mt-olympus-of-mars-is-22-km-tall/)

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> [I can't understand why men make all this fuss about Everest-it's only a mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junko-tabei/i-can-t-understand-why-men-make-all-this-fuss-about-everest-it-s-only/)

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> [Only the person who risks is truly free. A man's conquest of himself dwarfs the conquest of Mt. Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/only-the-person-who-risks-is-truly-free-a-man-s-conquest-of-himself/)

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> [- Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest, Sir? - Because it is there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-leigh-mallory/why-do-you-want-to-climb-mt-everest-sir-because-it-is-there/)

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[Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/)

## More by Edmund Hillary

> [ I've often thought about that and the only suitable member to join me on that climb \[to Everest\] was George Lowe: he was strong,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/i-ve-often-thought-about-that-and-the-only-suitable-member-to-join-me/)

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> [Some day I'm going to climb Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/some-day-i-m-going-to-climb-everest/)

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> [Nothing can replace courage, a resounding motivation and that little bit of luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/nothing-can-replace-courage-a-resounding-motivation-and-that-little/)

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> [With practice and focus, you can extend yourself far more than you ever believed possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/with-practice-and-focus-you-can-extend-yourself-far-more-than-you/)

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> [“With all respect, Sahib, you have little to teach us in strength and toughness. And we do not envy you your restless spirits. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/with-all-respect-sahib-you-have-little-to-teach-us-in-strength-and/)

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> [Environmental problems are really social problems anyway. They begin with people as the cause and end with people as the victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/environmental-problems-are-really-social-problems-anyway-they-begin/)

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> [Even when you're 50, you can make the effort to improve your standards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/even-when-you-re-50-you-can-make-the-effort-to-improve-your-standards/)

[Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/)

> [I've always hated the danger part of climbing, and it's great to come down again because it's safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/i-ve-always-hated-the-danger-part-of-climbing-and-it-s-great-to-come/)

[Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/)

> [It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/it-is-not-the-mountain-we-conquer-but-ourselves/)

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> [Everest you won't change, but I will get better...I will conquer you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/everest-you-won-t-change-but-i-will-get-better-i-will-conquer-you/)

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> [Boredom has always been a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/boredom-has-always-been-a-problem/)

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> [When I was climbing, I built up a close relationship with the Sherpa people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/when-i-was-climbing-i-built-up-a-close-relationship-with-the-sherpa/)

[Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/)

[Explore all 122 Edmund Hillary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/)

## More Achievement quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

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