Chris Bonington: What lesson has mattered most in your life?

The question

What lesson has mattered most in your life?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Verbatim recurring item in The Guardian Q&A; two fully readable publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Chris Bonington

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Whenever things seem absolutely terrible, to see that you’re alive and that’s all that matters.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 March 2025 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 138 →

Henry Marsh Neurosurgeon and writer

A close, loving family and work position in society which is meaningful, which is about making the world a better place rather than getting a bigger - having a bigger bank account.

Recorded Scott Simon, Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR, 21 January 2023 source ↗

Mario Molina Atmospheric chemist; Nobel laureate in Chemistry, 1995

So achievement, to me, is something that just comes with this attitude of doing your work the best you can in a passionate way. It’s not something that you have to expect. It’s something that’s a consequence of what you do, but it’s certainly important.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, Sun Valley, Idaho, 29 June 1996 source ↗

Jack Dee

When something is half price in a supermarket, always find out why.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 November 2024 source ↗

Ben Okri

Evolve or perish.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 July 2026 source ↗