“Great God! this is an awful place.”
Scott's diary reaction on 17 January 1912, arriving at the South Pole to find Amundsen's Norwegian flag already there.
— Robert Falcon Scott, Antarctica
Source: Robert Falcon Scott, diary entry 17 January 1912, published in Scott's Last Expedition (1913)
More Proverbs from Antarctica
Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.
Obstacles are not reasons to stop; they are simply the next problem to solve.
By endurance we conquer.
The Shackleton family motto (Fortitudine Vincimus), which gave the ship Endurance its name — steady persistence, not force, wins in the end.
Optimism is true moral courage.
Choosing to stay hopeful in the face of danger is itself a form of bravery.
A man must shape himself to a new mark directly the old one goes to ground.
When a plan fails, immediately set a new goal rather than dwelling on the loss.
For God's sake look after our people.
The final line of Scott's diary, written as he and his companions lay dying in their tent, asking that their families be cared for.
We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last.
Accepting the consequences of a chosen risk with dignity, without excuse or self-pity.