Backup of David's Livejournal

Aw, thanks! I should explain the "abandon all hope" bit. When climbing, and getting to a hard section, the worst thing you can do is to hang there, trying to muster courage and hoping that something better will make itself apparent. By hanging there, hoping, you waste precious strength and energy. You get tired. The most successful way to climb is to abandon hope and the hesitation that goes with it. It's better to simply give it your best shot, while you still have the strength. To abandon that type of hope is not to despair or give up, but to forge ahead with the resources you know you have.