--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An account of an expedition is not a…" description: "\"An account of an expedition is not a novel. Therefore an authentic account can never be given, let alone written down by someone who was not present.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/reinhold-messner-3556_adventure_an-account-of-an-expedition-is-not-a-nov_116283.jpg" --- # An account of an expedition is not a novel. Therefore an… ![“An account of an expedition is not a novel. Therefore an authentic account can never be given, let alone written down by someone who was not present.” quote by Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/reinhold-messner-3556_adventure_an-account-of-an-expedition-is-not-a-nov_116283.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/reinhold-messner-3556_adventure_an-account-of-an-expedition-is-not-a-nov_116283.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/reinhold-messner-3556_adventure_an-account-of-an-expedition-is-not-a-nov_116283.jpg) > “An account of an expedition is not a novel. Therefore an authentic account can never be given, let alone written down by someone who was not present.” [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. First‑hand narratives possess an authenticity that cannot be fully replicated by later writers, because lived experience embeds nuances and sensory details unavailable to outsiders. **In simple terms:** Only participants can convey true expedition detail. Key Takeaway Authenticity requires direct experience. Themes authenticity first‑hand account expedition narrative truth Mood thoughtful analytical Type reflective historical When to use this quote - travel memoirs - war reporting - scientific fieldwork Key Concepts epistemology of experience subjectivity Practical Applications - Prioritize eyewitness testimony in historical records - Use interviews to supplement missing perspectives Questions to Reflect On - How do we evaluate the credibility of second‑hand narratives? - Can technology (e.g., VR) bridge the gap of direct experience? A Different Perspective Secondary accounts can still convey truth through rigorous research and synthesis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alone/) [Authentic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authentic/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Expedition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expedition/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) ## Related quotes > [“There are many hostelries in his report, which is the true account of an expedition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-magris/there-are-many-hostelries-in-his-report-which-is-the-true-account-of/) [Claudio Magris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-magris/) > [A good expedition doesn't need a leader at all. You are deciding day by day, discussing it in a democratic way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/a-good-expedition-doesn-t-need-a-leader-at-all-you-are-deciding-day/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Men Wanted for Dangerous Expedition: Low Wages for Long Hours of Arduous Labour under Brutal Conditions; Months of Continual Darkness and Extreme Cold; Great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-shackleton/men-wanted-for-dangerous-expedition-low-wages-for-long-hours-of/) [Ernest Shackleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-shackleton/) > [With sufficient planning, you can almost eliminate adventure from an expedition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-amundsen/with-sufficient-planning-you-can-almost-eliminate-adventure-from-an/) [Roald Amundsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-amundsen/) > [“We’re astronauts. All of the expedition members have been astronauts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/we-re-astronauts-all-of-the-expedition-members-have-been-astronauts/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [I hope that you, too, will choose to have a journey instead of just a life. Actually, I hope it's a full on expedition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-cutrone/i-hope-that-you-too-will-choose-to-have-a-journey-instead-of-just-a/) [Kelly Cutrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-cutrone/) > [The first rule of an expedition is that everyone should stick together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/the-first-rule-of-an-expedition-is-that-everyone-should-stick-together/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [It is the going out from oneself that is love and not the accident of its return. It is the expedition, whether it fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/it-is-the-going-out-from-oneself-that-is-love-and-not-the-accident-of/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [My first trip was the Appalachian Trail, and I was able to finish it despite having no skills and no experience when I started.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-skurka/my-first-trip-was-the-appalachian-trail-and-i-was-able-to-finish-it/) [Andrew Skurka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-skurka/) > [Well, we could tell them that we're here on an archeological expedition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-adams/well-we-could-tell-them-that-we-re-here-on-an-archeological-expedition/) Edie Adams > [Mounting an expedition to actualize a Compassionate Commonwealth of all peoples...is the great spiritual challenge of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/mounting-an-expedition-to-actualize-a-compassionate-commonwealth-of/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) > [I will say, if you are planning a seaplane expedition anytime soon I urge you to brace yourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-viall/i-will-say-if-you-are-planning-a-seaplane-expedition-anytime-soon-i/) [Nick Viall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-viall/) > [I have gone into town to buy a few last things we need for the expedition: Peruvian wasp repellent, toothbrushes, canned peaches, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-gone-into-town-to-buy-a-few-last-things-we-need-for-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hope I'm still alive to see an expedition set off for Mars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/i-hope-i-m-still-alive-to-see-an-expedition-set-off-for-mars/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [“As the head of an expedition, you can't pussyfoot around being polite to everyone. You have to show your teeth once in a while;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/as-the-head-of-an-expedition-you-can-t-pussyfoot-around-being-polite/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) ## More by Reinhold Messner > [Fame is very heavy. When there are large crowds, I'm unable to handle it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/fame-is-very-heavy-when-there-are-large-crowds-i-m-unable-to-handle-it/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [The cliches that circulate in the German media about Joachim Sauer are a total fallacy. The fact is that he's his own man. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/the-cliches-that-circulate-in-the-german-media-about-joachim-sauer/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Climbing is not a competition, and you cannot talk in terms of 'greatest,' it means nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/climbing-is-not-a-competition-and-you-cannot-talk-in-terms-of/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Life is about daring to carry out your ideas. And for me, it always comes back to the wilderness, nature, mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/life-is-about-daring-to-carry-out-your-ideas-and-for-me-it-always/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [I have a very different fear if I'm all alone in the summit area of Mount Everest and if I know that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/i-have-a-very-different-fear-if-i-m-all-alone-in-the-summit-area-of/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [For years I was a rock climber and nothing else. I went to school, yes, and university, yes, but in my heart I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/for-years-i-was-a-rock-climber-and-nothing-else-i-went-to-school-yes/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Ueli Steck, I'm absolutely certain, had a very strong inner drive to keep pushing. He set very high standards for himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/ueli-steck-i-m-absolutely-certain-had-a-very-strong-inner-drive-to/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [I can't tell people to love mountains. They have to find their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/i-can-t-tell-people-to-love-mountains-they-have-to-find-their-own-way/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [...seen from above, landscapes are made up of mountains and watercourses. Just as a transparent model of the human body consists of a framework…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/seen-from-above-landscapes-are-made-up-of-mountains-and-watercourses/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Mountains are not fair or unfair, they are just dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/mountains-are-not-fair-or-unfair-they-are-just-dangerous/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Out of all the climbers of this generation, I was the one who became known to the larger public. Many of them - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/out-of-all-the-climbers-of-this-generation-i-was-the-one-who-became/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Bolts are the murder of the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/bolts-are-the-murder-of-the-impossible/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Mountaineering is over. Alpinism is dead. Maybe its spirit is still alive a little in Britain and America, but it will soon die out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/mountaineering-is-over-alpinism-is-dead-maybe-its-spirit-is-still/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [The Dolomites are the most beautiful rock mountains in the world, but in a few million years they will just be desert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/the-dolomites-are-the-most-beautiful-rock-mountains-in-the-world-but/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) > [Alpinism means you go by yourself with your own responsibility, knowing that you could die. But Everest now is more like ski tourism: preparing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/alpinism-means-you-go-by-yourself-with-your-own-responsibility/) [Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) [Explore all 119 Reinhold Messner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) ## More Adventure quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/) Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“Love can give you such happiness, then can break the very heart it filled, leaving a hole that can never be fixed or protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mcleod/love-can-give-you-such-happiness-then-can-break-the-very-heart-it/) Kevin McLeod > [“It always gave Wolf a peculiar thrill thus to tighten his grip upon his stick, thus to wrap himself more closely in his faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/it-always-gave-wolf-a-peculiar-thrill-thus-to-tighten-his-grip-upon/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [“It all had to be squeezed and squeezed again, to provide a thrill, to provide enjoyment. What did people mean, with their simply determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/it-all-had-to-be-squeezed-and-squeezed-again-to-provide-a-thrill-to/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [I am not an adventurous person but I am gutsy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-am-not-an-adventurous-person-but-i-am-gutsy/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) [Browse all 7,690 Adventure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An account of an expedition is not a novel. 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