I just read a fascinating book by Robert Kaplan, The Revenge of Geography. It posits that though technology is making the world “flatter, much of Geopolitics and macro human behavior can still be defined by Geography. One of his points, one also made more subtly by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs and Steel, is that few historically significant cultures have ever developed between the equator and latitudes 22 North or South. He asserts that life in the tropics is simply too easy to create the need for people to band together for mutual survival. And this coming together to face mutual challenges is what is needed to develop complex civilizations. He also notes that great civilizations rarely develop above 50 degrees N or below 50 degrees S because conditions are simply too harsh to do more than merely survive.
Without debating geographical determinism, I want to build on Kaplan’s theories. Civilization flourishes in temperate zones. His hypothesis is that where weather is more seasonal, one has to intentionally plant crops rather than harvest fruit. One has to figure out ways to stay warm in winter and find light for long winter evenings. People have to work together to survive and this focus on collaboration fosters the sharing of ideas which moves a civilization forward.
Like life in the tropics, in the book, How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that as parents, we have made our upper middle class children so comfortable that we are actually inhibiting their success. If civilizations need stressors to develop more fully, perhaps giving our children lives filled with too much comfort is actually doing them a disservice. If we do too much for them, we may actually be crippling them, though it is the last thing we intend. Resilience, picking one’s self up from failure, is one of the characteristics of successful people. If our kids rarely experience failure or adversity, how do we raise them to become resilient and thus increase their chances of becoming successful? At Camp Pinnacle, Resilience is one of our celebrated 5”R’s” (Respect, Responsibility, Reaching Out to Others and Reasonable Risk are the other 4 “R’s”)
Kaplan says a trained geographer can look at the natural attributes of the United States compared to the rest of the planet and instantly understand why it’s the dominant global player. The U.S. has more and better navigable rivers and natural harbors than other countries. With small, easily traversed East Coast Mountains, two oceans and fertile plains accessed by the easily navigable Mississippi River, we have won the Global Geography Bee! Kaplan further asserts that because the U.S. is protected by two oceans and naturally more secure, the United States was automatically more receptive to the concept of democracy than say a country like Russia which was more inclined towards the protective rule of a despot because of the constant threat of invasion from the steppes.
I would like to make the jump that like the United States, Camp Pinnacle is endowed with a unique advantage in the world of youth development. We can take advantage of all that nature offers to create an optimal environment to help youth become more resilient and enjoy a strong community experience. Like the temperate zone, Camp Pinnacle is neither too comfortable nor too challenging. When one first comes to Camp Pinnacle, if they don’t have previous experience living with a group of peers in a setting much more rustic than home, things are naturally a bit uncomfortable. But campers quickly learn ways to make camp living comfortable and eventually, extremely fun. Campers are constantly challenged, and they learn to overcome these challenges. By working together, encouraging each other and sharing ideas, the cabin and division groups succeed and great friendships are fostered. The shared challenges, the shared natural beauty and the shared adversity tends to bring people closer together in more powerful ways than if they were in a more comfortable environment (home, school, sports, day camp)
And the great thing is that though Camp Pinnacle campers are challenged and aren’t always comfortable, they are actually having the time of their lives. Learning that challenge and adversity can be your friend is another life lesson that lasts long beyond the summer.
47 days until counselor training begins! We are getting excited!
Best, Dock
John Dockendorf, Executive Director
“It is an illusion to think that more comfort means more happiness. Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk and to be needed.” – Storm Jameson