Nansen on Burning Bridges
Story★★★★Speaking to the students at Edinburgh, Nansen said: “I have always thought that the much praised line of retreat is a snare for people who wish to reach their goal. Let me tell you one secret of such so-called success as there may have been in my life, and here I believe I give you really good advice. It was to burn my boats and demolish my bridges behind me, then one loses no time in looking behind when one should have quite enough to do in looking ahead, and then there is no choice for you or your men, but forward. You have to do or die.”
The point
Nansen told Edinburgh students that success came from burning his boats—eliminating retreat as an option, forcing himself and his men to move forward or perish.
Audience
Adults
Tone
Inspiring · Challenging
To tell aloud
under a minute · 108 words