Pierce Arnold - Take an Inconvenient Path 4/27/2026

Something that I have noticed in myself when walking between classes here at CNU is the fact that I choose to take longer paths that keep me outside for as much of the walk as possible rather than take the straightforward path that leads indoors. The interesting part about this is that whenever it is uncomfortably cold, or rainy, or there is any other reason why it may be more convenient for me to travel indoors, I get a sense that it would be a form of betrayal to change my path due to this inconvenience. Now of course this behavior could simply be attributed to my being a creature of habit, and not wanting to change any of my routines even in the face of inconvenience. That said, I don’t think that explains the feeling of moral obligation which I feel in these circumstances, meaning that something else must be the cause. I think that, although on a much different scale, the cause of my feeling is the same as the cause for why Dr. Redick considers long distance hiking to be so beneficial. This cause is the idea of discipline. Dr. Redick could go for a short hike, walk a small section of the AT, maybe stay one night or two, and then go home, but he doesn’t, and neither do many of the other committed long distance hikers that he discusses. I believe that part of the reason for this is that forcing yourself to do something that is inconvenient and unnecessary is a critical part of character growth and interior journeys. Now, do not take this to mean that I think I am a highly disciplined person, far from it, but I believe that this is why my conscience tells me to stay outside even when I don’t want to. If I can enjoy walking to class in warm and sunny weather, I can also stand to enjoy (or at least bear) the same walk in the cold and rainy weather. So the next time you, the reader, are tempted to take a path you wouldn’t usually take simply because it is more convenient, perhaps consider if the less ideal road would benefit your character in some small way.