--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only possibility to have a knowledge…" description: "\"The only possibility to have a knowledge of both the Earth's nature and our own internal nature is through traditional climbing when you go on your own..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/reinhold-messner-3556_climbing_the-only-possibility-to-have-a-knowledge_3172993.jpg" --- # The only possibility to have a knowledge of both the… ![“The only possibility to have a knowledge of both the Earth's nature and our own internal nature is through traditional climbing when you go on your own, far from safety, and encounter the unknown.” quote by Reinhold Messner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/reinhold-messner-3556_climbing_the-only-possibility-to-have-a-knowledge_3172993.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/reinhold-messner-3556_climbing_the-only-possibility-to-have-a-knowledge_3172993.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2f/reinhold-messner-3556_climbing_the-only-possibility-to-have-a-knowledge_3172993.jpg) > “The only possibility to have a knowledge of both the Earth's nature and our own internal nature is through traditional climbing when you go on your own, far from safety, and encounter the unknown.” [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. Traditional solo climbing exposes both external nature and inner self, offering unique knowledge. **In simple terms:** Climbing alone teaches about the world and yourself. Key Takeaway Seek solitude in nature to learn. Themes adventure self‑knowledge nature Mood introspective awe Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - mountaineering expeditions - solo retreats - leadership training Key Concepts existential insight risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What inner truths emerge when you face the unknown? - How can you safely experience solitude? A Different Perspective Physical danger limits accessibility for many. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climbing/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) [Unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknown/) ## Related quotes > [External nature is only internal nature writ large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/external-nature-is-only-internal-nature-writ-large/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I'd been a child during the 1960s when women burned their bras and hundreds of thousands gathered in protests against the Vietnam War. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hill/i-d-been-a-child-during-the-1960s-when-women-burned-their-bras-and/) [Lynn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-hill/) > [Man is man so long as he is struggling to rise above nature, and this nature is both internal and external.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/man-is-man-so-long-as-he-is-struggling-to-rise-above-nature-and-this/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [He who has conquered the internal nature controls the whole universe; it becomes his servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/he-who-has-conquered-the-internal-nature-controls-the-whole-universe/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [It is good and very grand to conquer external nature, but grander still to conquer our internal nature… This conquering of the inner man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/it-is-good-and-very-grand-to-conquer-external-nature-but-grander/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [In every remodelling of the present, the existing condition of things must be supplanted by a new one. Now every variety of circumstances in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/in-every-remodelling-of-the-present-the-existing-condition-of-things/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [A scientist sets out to conquer nature through knowledge - external nature, external knowledge. By these means he may split the atom and achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/a-scientist-sets-out-to-conquer-nature-through-knowledge-external/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [What you take from the earth, you must give back. That's nature's way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-d-lacey/what-you-take-from-the-earth-you-must-give-back-that-s-nature-s-way/) [Chris d'Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-d-lacey/) > [The gossamer web of life, spun on the loom of sunlight from the breath of an infant Earth, is nature's crowning achievement on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-cloud/the-gossamer-web-of-life-spun-on-the-loom-of-sunlight-from-the-breath/) Preston Cloud > [The weather is nature's disruptor of human plans and busybodies. Of all the things on earth, nature's disruption is what we know we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-weather-is-nature-s-disruptor-of-human-plans-and-busybodies-of/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [It's obvious nonsense, but it makes nice people feel good about themselves to do their bit for the planet. It's vanity of a grotesque…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-saatchi/it-s-obvious-nonsense-but-it-makes-nice-people-feel-good-about/) [Charles Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-saatchi/) > [“Two or three million years ago, the Earth was a ball of fire, revolving arround it's own axis. It took millions of years to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-egri/two-or-three-million-years-ago-the-earth-was-a-ball-of-fire-revolving/) [Lajos Egri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajos-egri/) > [The earth, that is nature's mother, is her tomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-earth-that-is-nature-s-mother-is-her-tomb/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The body of the earth is of the nature of a fish... because it draws water as its breath instead of air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-body-of-the-earth-is-of-the-nature-of-a-fish-because-it-draws/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [“There is nothing in the world more valuable than friendship. Those who banish it from their lives remove as it were the sun from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-more-valuable-than-friendship-those-who/) [Robin S. Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-sharma/) ## 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/) > [An account of an expedition is not a novel. Therefore an authentic account can never be given, let alone written down by someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-messner/an-account-of-an-expedition-is-not-a-novel-therefore-an-authentic/) [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/) [Explore all 119 Reinhold Messner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-messner/) ## More Climbing quotes > [I'm always climbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-caldwell/i-m-always-climbing/) [Tommy Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-caldwell/) > [There is nothing to do, just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. 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Its heart is the feeling, its path is blood, sweat and tears, and its restriction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-kurtyka/classic-mountaineering-grows-out-of-a-traditional-romantic/) [Wojciech Kurtyka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-kurtyka/) > [Placing my buttocks on a cold toilet seat is my climbing Mount Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/placing-my-buttocks-on-a-cold-toilet-seat-is-my-climbing-mount-everest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. Our minds ring, involuntarily, with the alluring names of mountains, aiguilles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-rebuffat/the-ascent-of-any-route-begins-in-dreams-at-least-the-autumn-before/) [Gaston Rebuffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-rebuffat/) > [“Climbing mattered. The danger bathed the world in a halogen glow that caused everything—the sweep of the rock, the orange and yellow lichens, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/climbing-mattered-the-danger-bathed-the-world-in-a-halogen-glow-that/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-neuharth/the-difference-between-a-mountain-and-a-molehill-is-your-perspective/) [Al Neuharth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-neuharth/) > [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Climbing has worked for me in a number of ways on Capitol Hill. I'm much more inclined to look at what people do, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-udall/climbing-has-worked-for-me-in-a-number-of-ways-on-capitol-hill-i-m/) [Mark Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-udall/) > [I love finding something. For me it's not just about the athletic challenge, it's about finding new things. When I'm not doing that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sharma/i-love-finding-something-for-me-it-s-not-just-about-the-athletic/) [Chris Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sharma/) > [I'm a man's man. 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