Encounters at the End of the World

This penguin from Werner Herzog’s documentary Encounters at the End of the World is going viral again.

These penguins are all heading to the open water to the right.

But one of them caught our eye, the one in the center. He would neither go towards the feeding grounds at the edge of the ice, nor return to the colony.

Shortly afterwards, we saw him heading straight towards the mountains, some 70 kilometers away. Dr. Ainley explained that even if he caught him and brought him back to the colony, he would immediately head right back for the mountains.

But why?

…And here, he’s heading off into the interior of the vast continent. With 5, 000 kilometers ahead of him, he’s heading towards certain death.

That image, that story.

We may never know why the penguin did that, but we humans can certainly interpret this in our own stories. Good stories.

Like how that image feels like being an entrepreneur, a solo indie hacker.

Walking away from the cosy colony, familiar roles, easy ideals, comfortable expectations on one side.
Walking away from monthly salary, year-end bonuses, and unlimited donuts and coffee in the panty on the other side.

Towards almost certain failure.
Because over 90% of businesses fail.

Yet, we still walk towards the mountains. And if you brought us back to a job, invariably, the itch to start something on your own returns. And soon enough, we’ll walk right back towards the mountains again, towards that peak, that goal. Never mind it’s 5000km of vast, empty cold to get there.

For most, that’s insanity.
When I think this through rationally, it is insane. It’s true.

Yet, I am compelled to do this.

Life isn’t always about survival.
There’s mysteries we’re not meant to understand.
Desires we’re not meant to rationalize.
Dreams we’re not mean to ignore.

Like encounters at the end of the world.