The polar explorer spent 5 months alone. Here are the important truths that were revealed to him

Richard Baird was one of the first American aviators. The air expeditions he led crossed the Atlantic Ocean, part of the Arctic Ocean and part of the Polar Plateau in Antarctica.

In 1934, he decided to spend several months alone in Antarctica. The rest of the expedition remained at the Little America research base, while Baird himself settled in an even colder and more desolate part of the mainland. For several months, he was going to conduct meteorological and astronomical observations. But first of all, Baird just wanted to be alone, away from the hustle and bustle and think about his own life. Here are some of his thoughts that were published in the publication Art of Manliness.

We need less than we think

Two tunnels dug in the snow adjoined Baird's hut. They contained basic necessities: candles, matches, flashlights, batteries, pencils and paper, soap, provisions. Apart from books and a phonograph, Baird had no entertainment at his disposal. He had one set of clothes, one chair and a stove on which he cooked.

Living in such simple conditions, Baird realized that nothing else was needed. He realized what philosophers have been talking about for a long time. That you can live a full life without accumulating a bunch of things.

Physical exercises help to maintain mental balance

Despite the extremely low temperature, Baird trained almost every day. He believed that daily exercise supported not only physical health, but also the psyche. The next time you get lazy to go outside because of the cold, remember this entry from Baird's diary: "Today it was clear and not too cold - at noon it was only minus 41."

In the morning, while the tea water was being heated, Baird, lying on his bunk, did fifteen stretching exercises. "The silence in the first few minutes after waking up is always depressing," he wrote. "Exercise helps me break out of this state."

In addition, he walked for an hour or two every day and did various exercises along the way. Such walks gave him the opportunity to stretch, get some air and change the situation.

Most of our behavior is caused by external factors

"When you're alone, you notice to what extent our manners and habits depend on our surroundings," Baird wrote. "My table manners are disgusting now. It's like I've been degraded for hundreds of years."

He also noticed that he began to swear less often: "Now I rarely swear, although at first I angrily attacked everything that exasperated me. Now I suffer in silence, knowing that the night is endless and my profanity does not shock anyone but myself." Although it seems to us that we utter obscenities for our own pleasure, in fact this action is ostentatious.

Besides, Baird hasn't had a haircut in all these months. According to him, the long hair warmed the neck. But he washed every evening, but not to observe the rules of decency. It was just more pleasant and comfortable for him.

How I look doesn't matter to me anymore. The only thing that matters is how I feel.

Richard Baird

Baird did not believe that manners and rules of conduct were not necessary at all. He did not live like a savage after returning from the expedition. He just always remembered that most of our behavior is "theater, albeit very useful."

The daily routine supports and gives peace

In order not to fall into melancholy, Baird tried to always be busy and introduced a clear daily routine. According to him, it was not so easy, because he is "a rather careless person who is influenced by mood."

Firstly, he repaired something every day. He always set aside one hour for this, and then moved on to another matter. The next day, he returned to work again. "So every day I see a little progress in all important things," he explained, "and at the same time I don't let myself get bored. It brings variety to life." Secondly, Baird tried not to think about the past and live in the present. He wanted to "extract every drop of entertainment available to him from the surroundings."

Although he went for walks in different directions every day, the landscape hardly changed. Baird diversified his outings with the help of imagination. For example, he imagined that he was walking around his native Boston, repeating the journey of Marco Polo, or living during the ice Age.

Do not worry about what is not in your power

Baird learned the news from the Little America base, and could only answer in Morse code. At first, he was very upset by the reports he heard, for example, about the economic crisis. But over time, he learned to perceive them differently. "I don't have the slightest opportunity to change the situation. Therefore, it is useless to worry," he wrote.

This approach, characteristic of stoicism, he applied to everything he heard. He tried to focus only on what he could control himself. According to him, world news has become "almost as meaningless to him as it is to a Martian."

Baird could not influence global events in any way from his corner of Antarctica. But he wouldn't have changed anything if he had been at home in America at that time. So is it worth following the news at all and worrying about it?

Peace and joy are not given without a struggle

"In the absence of material stimuli, my senses have become more acute in a new way," Baird wrote. "Random or ordinary things in heaven, earth and in my soul, which previously I would have ignored or not noticed at all, have now become fascinating and important."

However, such moments of elation do not come without effort and sacrifice. They did not happen in spite of the difficult conditions in which Baird lived, but precisely because of them. Here, for example, are his reflections on the magnificent colors of the northern lights:

Baird has found the state of peace he dreamed of. But according to him, this peace is not passive. It must be won with maximum effort.

Family is the only thing that matters

Two months later, Baird's tile, which he used to heat his hut, broke. Carbon monoxide began to seep out of it. But without heating, Baird would have frozen to death. Therefore, he had to ventilate the room during the day and leave it on at night. Soon he became seriously ill. He hid this from his colleagues for two months, fearing that they would come to his rescue and die on the way.

When he was on the verge of death, Baird realized a simple truth: "That's not what I used to appreciate at all. I didn't realize that the simple, humble things in life are the most important. After all, for any person, only the love and understanding of his family are important. Everything else is fragile. All that we have created are ships at the mercy of the winds and tides of human prejudice. But the family is a reliable support, a calm harbor where these ships will dock at the pier of pride and trust."

Conclusions

Most of us will never experience the kind of prolonged and complete loneliness that Baird was in. But everyone has a few minutes a day that they can spend alone with themselves.

Disconnect from everything that distracts you and listen to the thoughts that you usually don't have enough time for in the hustle and bustle of life.