--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are two kinds of Arctic problems…" description: "\"There are two kinds of Arctic problems, the imaginary and the real. Of the two, the imaginary are the most real.\" — Vilhjalmur Stefansson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/vilhjalmur-stefansson-46260_arctic_there-are-two-kinds-of-arctic-problems-t_980055.jpg" --- # There are two kinds of Arctic problems, the imaginary and… ![“There are two kinds of Arctic problems, the imaginary and the real. Of the two, the imaginary are the most real.” quote by Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/vilhjalmur-stefansson-46260_arctic_there-are-two-kinds-of-arctic-problems-t_980055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/vilhjalmur-stefansson-46260_arctic_there-are-two-kinds-of-arctic-problems-t_980055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/695/vilhjalmur-stefansson-46260_arctic_there-are-two-kinds-of-arctic-problems-t_980055.jpg) > “There are two kinds of Arctic problems, the imaginary and the real. Of the two, the imaginary are the most real.” [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imaginary Arctic problems often dominate attention, yet they can be more impactful than tangible challenges. **In simple terms:** Imagined problems can feel more real than actual ones. Key Takeaway Recognize and address imagined fears. Themes perception psychology environment Mood thoughtful analytical Type nonfiction inspirational When to use this quote - planning expeditions - climate policy - risk assessment Key Concepts cognitive bias fear reality Questions to Reflect On - What imagined Arctic issue worries you most? - How can you balance perception with reality? A Different Perspective Imagined issues may distract from urgent real threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arctic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arctic/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Actors speak of things imaginary as if they were real, while you preachers too often speak of things real as if they were imaginary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-betterton/actors-speak-of-things-imaginary-as-if-they-were-real-while-you/) Thomas Betterton > [Once you realize that the world is your own projection, you are free of it. You need not free yourself of a world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/once-you-realize-that-the-world-is-your-own-projection-you-are-free/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [Realism is a bad word. In a sense everything is realistic. I see no line between the imaginary and the real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/realism-is-a-bad-word-in-a-sense-everything-is-realistic-i-see-no/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [“A good novel is the biography of an imaginary person--and when the biography is completed, the person is no longer imaginary; he is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edmund-barrett/a-good-novel-is-the-biography-of-an-imaginary-person-and-when-the/) William Edmund Barrett > [An interlude of false innocence has passed. Today, as we enter the post-photographic era, we must face once again the ineradicable fragility of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-mitchell/an-interlude-of-false-innocence-has-passed-today-as-we-enter-the-post/) [William J. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-mitchell/) > [True knowledge of good and evil as we possess is merely abstract or general, and the judgment which we pass on the order of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/true-knowledge-of-good-and-evil-as-we-possess-is-merely-abstract-or/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Even the very youngest children already are perfectly able to discriminate between the imaginary and the real, whether in books or movies or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/even-the-very-youngest-children-already-are-perfectly-able-to/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [... people made the imaginary real all the time: taking the music they heard in their head and recording it, seeing a house in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/people-made-the-imaginary-real-all-the-time-taking-the-music-they/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“enjoying the danger—more imaginary than real, yet still sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-iossel/enjoying-the-danger-more-imaginary-than-real-yet-still-sweet/) [Mikhail Iossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-iossel/) > [The substance of grief is not imaginary. It's as real as rope or the absence of air, and like both those things, it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-substance-of-grief-is-not-imaginary-it-s-as-real-as-rope-or-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“The difference between imaginary and real object creates a continuos desire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-fr-h-svendsen/the-difference-between-imaginary-and-real-object-creates-a-continuos/) [Lars Fr. H. Svendsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-fr-h-svendsen/) > [I like to mix the real and the imaginary. Sometimes it is characters inspired by real people I know or know of. Sometimes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-spiotta/i-like-to-mix-the-real-and-the-imaginary-sometimes-it-is-characters/) [Dana Spiotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-spiotta/) > [The distinction between what is real and what is imaginary is not one that can be finely maintained ... all existing thing are ... imaginary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-braden/the-distinction-between-what-is-real-and-what-is-imaginary-is-not-one/) [Gregg Braden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-braden/) > [Some things can be both real and imaginary at the same time, . . . some lies can be true, . . . broken faith may be restored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/some-things-can-be-both-real-and-imaginary-at-the-same-time-some-lies/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [Neither the true nor the false roots are always real; sometimes they are imaginary; that is, while we can always imagine as many roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/neither-the-true-nor-the-false-roots-are-always-real-sometimes-they/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) ## More by Vilhjalmur Stefansson > [The philosophers of the Middle Ages demonstrated both that the Earth did not exist and also that it was flat. Today they are still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/the-philosophers-of-the-middle-ages-demonstrated-both-that-the-earth/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [What is the difference between unethical and ethical advertising? Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses truth to deceive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/what-is-the-difference-between-unethical-and-ethical-advertising/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [The most striking contradiction of our civilization is the fundamental reverence for truth which we profess and the thorough-going disregard for it which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/the-most-striking-contradiction-of-our-civilization-is-the/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [Adventure is a sign of incompetence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/adventure-is-a-sign-of-incompetence/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [False modesty is better than none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/false-modesty-is-better-than-none/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [Having an adventure shows that someone is incompetent, that something has gone wrong. An adventure is interesting enough - in retrospect. Especially to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/having-an-adventure-shows-that-someone-is-incompetent-that-something/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [A land may be said to be discovered the first time a European, presumably an Englishman, sets foot on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/a-land-may-be-said-to-be-discovered-the-first-time-a-european/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) [Explore all 8 Vilhjalmur Stefansson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) ## More Arctic quotes > [Some have suggested that ideally there must be some international body that would treat areas like the Arctic as a global commerce, a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/some-have-suggested-that-ideally-there-must-be-some-international/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The Earth's population will be culled from today's 6.6 billion to as few as 500 million, with most of the survivors living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-earth-s-population-will-be-culled-from-today-s-6-6-billion-to-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The undisturbed coastal plain is home to a wide variety of plants and animals and is the only wilderness sanctuary in North America that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/the-undisturbed-coastal-plain-is-home-to-a-wide-variety-of-plants-and/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [I did a show in this tiny town called Longyearbyen. We went snowmobiling around Svalbard and saw Arctic foxes, snow bunting, polar bear footprints…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/i-did-a-show-in-this-tiny-town-called-longyearbyen-we-went/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) > [If the world were an orange with 18 segments meeting at the top (the North Pole), roughly 8 of them would be in Russia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/if-the-world-were-an-orange-with-18-segments-meeting-at-the-top-the/) [Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/) > [A good salesman, as the old (and politically incorrect) saying goes, can sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo. It's a cliché, but there's some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kaufman/a-good-salesman-as-the-old-and-politically-incorrect-saying-goes-can/) [Josh Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kaufman/) > [It came to me that hell would not be fire and smoke after all but arctic, everything white and frigid. Hell would be not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/it-came-to-me-that-hell-would-not-be-fire-and-smoke-after-all-but/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [The Arctic is the planet's air conditioner and it's starting to break down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eban-goodstein/the-arctic-is-the-planet-s-air-conditioner-and-it-s-starting-to-break/) [Eban Goodstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eban-goodstein/) > [Filming for 'MasterChef' with the Royal Marine Commandos in the Arctic was the only time I've felt like planet Earth was trying to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-wallace/filming-for-masterchef-with-the-royal-marine-commandos-in-the-arctic/) [Gregg Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-wallace/) > [I listen to 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Stereophonics, Arctic Monkeys; also the musical Oliver - I can sing every tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-rooney/i-listen-to-50-cent-jay-z-stereophonics-arctic-monkeys-also-the/) [Wayne Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-rooney/) > [The Arctic is going to be an area of intense interest. Russia has the longest coastline in the world with the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-arctic-is-going-to-be-an-area-of-intense-interest-russia-has-the/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Before we left, Grandmother talked a lot about the arctic night we would fly through. 'Isn't it a mystical word, "arctic"? Pure and quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/before-we-left-grandmother-talked-a-lot-about-the-arctic-night-we/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [We can look forward to the day when the free flow of trade, from the southern reaches of Tierra del Fuego to the northern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-can-look-forward-to-the-day-when-the-free-flow-of-trade-from-the/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [By the end of this century, climate change will reduce the human population to a few breeding pairs surviving near the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-the-end-of-this-century-climate-change-will-reduce-the-human/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“We have even broken the shackles of the Earth’s gravity. In our newly globalised world we can use that technology to give us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-marshall/we-have-even-broken-the-shackles-of-the-earth-s-gravity-in-our-newly/) [Tim Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-marshall/) [Browse all 232 Arctic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arctic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are two kinds of Arctic problems, the imaginary and the real. 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