Introduction

What can we learn from individuals who make life-and-death decisions in the most dangerous environments on the planet? Dr. Ken Kamler, Expedition Climber, Microsurgeon, and Extreme Medicine Doctor, joins our guest host Annie Duke, to talk about decision-making insights discovered on his perilous expeditions on Mount Everest, and to share his powerful account of the notorious 1996 Mount Everest Disaster. Ken and Annie discuss the importance of sticking to turnaround times on an ascent to save yourself from flawed in-the-moment decision-making, the mental challenge of turning back so close to the summit, and why Olympic bronze medalists are surprisingly often happier than silver medalists. Ken also reveals what the true goal on Everest is—hint: it's not to get to the top—and how getting the time horizons of our goals wrong can have devastating consequences for all of us.