This week, I'm joined by the remarkable Erling Kagge, Norwegian adventurer, philosopher and acclaimed writer. Erling is the first person to complete the "Three Poles Challenge" - reaching the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest on foot. After this record-breaking feat, Erling attended Cambridge University to study philosophy.
He’s also the author of multiple best-selling books, including, Silence: In the Age of Noise and Walking: One Step at a Time.
When Erling was 29, he did something most of us can't imagine - he walked alone to the South Pole for 50 days in complete silence, with no radio contact whatsoever. What started as a physical journey across ice became something far more profound - a journey into himself.
In our conversation, we explore
- Why Erling believes silence is where "the world's secrets are hidden" and how finding quiet moments can help us get to know ourselves better - and appreciate others more
- Erling’s surprising relationship with fear and how being "one with the environment" creates an unexpected sense of peace even in extreme danger - like facing a charging polar bear!
- The three simple origins of true gratefulness that Erling found during his expeditions: feeling warm after being cold, feeling full after being hungry and resting after exhaustion – experiences most of us rarely have in our comfortable modern lives
- How our experience of boredom has completely changed – from being bored because nothing is happening to feeling bored because too many things are happening at once
- Why Erling believes we should actually "make our lives more difficult" on purpose and how this approach helps us find meaning and satisfaction
- Practical ideas for bringing moments of silence into our busy lives – whether it's walking without your phone, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or just standing still for a few minutes
As Erling reminds us, most of us don't realise what we're truly capable of. His encouragement to break free from limiting beliefs, to move our bodies more, and to add variety to our routines offers a practical path toward a more meaningful life.
In his words, finding fulfilment is about "finding your own North Pole" – a journey that asks us to be brave enough to face ourselves in silence. I hope you enjoy listening.
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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/551
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