To some men sickness brings a desire to be left alone; animal-like, their instinct is to crawl into a hole and lick the hurt. {11} There were aspects of this situation which I would rather not mention at all, since they involve that queer business called self-respect.... For a reason I can't wholly explain, except in terms of pride, I concealed from [my] men, as best I could, the true extent of my weakness. I never mentioned and, therefore, never acknowledged it.... I wanted no one to be able to look over the wall....[1] [1] Richard E. Byrd, _Alone_ (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1938), pp. 166, viii, 294-295. In spite of his efforts to keep his condition to himself, Byrd's radio operator at the main base seems to have intuited that Byrd was in danger. A rescue party was sent as the winter weather became less harsh, and Byrd was brought back to the base, probably just in time, before the fumes killed or permanently injured him. In many ways, Byrd's Antarctic experience parallels that of many of us who, because of our own pain and hardship, isolate ourselves from others. Our lives become cold, desolate, despairing. Our suffering is real, but for one reason or another we cannot or will not reach out to others. WALLING YOURSELF OFF FROM OTHERS Most of us are aware of a need for human company and companionship. But when we are in pain or are severely troubled, we often forget what has been recognized for a long time: Frederick II, the thirteenth-century ruler of Sicily, believed that all children were born with a knowledge of an ancient language. When they were taught the language of their parents, however, he theorized, their knowledge of the older language was overridden and blotted out. King Frederick hypothesized that if children were raised without being taught a language, they would, in time, spontaneously begin to speak in some ancient tongue. He therefore appointed a group of foster mothers, had new-born infants taken from their natural mothers, and ordered the foster mothers to raise the children in silence. The upshot of this early experiment--as the legend goes--was {12} that Frederick never found out whether his theory was true. All of the babies died. They could not live without affection, touching, and loving words. Apparently, the foster mothers withdrew all human warmth when they sought to obey the king's order. Today, we are aware of a baby's vital need for affection, for human contact--and even so, in our adult lives, when human contact is equally essential, we sometimes cut ourselves off from others. THE MYTH OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY