Metamorphosis, we learn in high school, is the process that transforms the creepy crawly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. The larva becomes a pupa and then the butterfly breaks out and flies away. I often wonder why human being do not or cannot transform themselves into something beautiful, develop capabilities that they did not possess earlier or set themselves free to do things they were not able to. I guess the trouble is one never starts. If one does want to start do we know what one wants to metamorphose into?
For instance, the question of freedom. There are dozens for things that one wants to be free from. We want to be free of our worries, our bosses, annoying colleagues, bigotry, violence in society etc. We have concepts of freedom enshrined in our constitutions. We, (most of us, anyway) live in nation states that guarantee us a right to freedom. Technology has set us free of much of the drudgery of life. It is far easier to cook, clean, commute, communicate (and those are just words that start with "c") than it has ever been in the history of humanity. Yet, most of us feel trapped and want to be free. Why?
Friedrich Neitzsche says "Free from what? What doth that matter to Zarathustra! Clearly, however, shall thine eye show unto me: free FOR WHAT?" That actually sounds like a good point. Most of us never think about what we want to be free to do. Is that why one feels trapped?
I often find myself wanting to have a lot of free time or leisure. Who doesn't. At times wondering if taking a long break from work might free me up. I can't answer the question free to do what? Is it possible that sorting out what I want to do would actually make a difference? There are many unplanned activities that I end up finding time for at work. It might be possible to do the same in other contexts if one can identify what it needs to be. Maybe one can create the time required to pursue a hobby or learn something if one identifies what these pursuits need to be.
Another year draws to a close. I'm sure a lot of us, whether we like it or not, end up reflecting upon our lives at this time of the year. It might been a good idea to think about what one wants to be free for. Doing so might just initiate a metamorphosis in us and transform us into the butterfly we'd all love to be. Just a thought.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The ones who care!
I've been thinking about the people who have played a significant part in making me the person that I am today. I realized that some of these people were actually quite hard on me. For instance the head-master of my school was really hard on me. Quite frankly I hated it then. Fifteen years later, I've realized a very simple fact. He did so because he cared.
Clearly not all people who give me a hard time do so because they care. There are some assholes in the world who are giving me a hard time because they can do no better. It would be nice to be able to tell the two kinds of people apart.
The ones who care will probably not hesitate to let me know what they think when I have screwed things up. That should be one good rule of thumb to use to decide if one wants to be around such people. I can easily see why such people would help you grow and be a better person.
The wrong kind of people to surround yourselves with are the ones that will offer you a lot of sympathy when you fail or make mistakes. It should be obvious that such actions don't really help and have the effect of perpetuating our misery and limiting our ability to act on the circumstances that cause us to fail or make mistakes. I don't mean to say that such people are evil and/or should be avoided. They do so with the best of intentions. We tend to like people who sympathize with us and not like people who are pragmatic. That might not be in one's best interest.
The ones that care would also be of the kind who will be "truly" happy for you when you do succeed. One can usually detect "jealousy", "flattery" etc in the wrong kind.
In short, there is a case for one to be grateful to the people who give us a hard time because they care. Just something to think about.
Clearly not all people who give me a hard time do so because they care. There are some assholes in the world who are giving me a hard time because they can do no better. It would be nice to be able to tell the two kinds of people apart.
The ones who care will probably not hesitate to let me know what they think when I have screwed things up. That should be one good rule of thumb to use to decide if one wants to be around such people. I can easily see why such people would help you grow and be a better person.
The wrong kind of people to surround yourselves with are the ones that will offer you a lot of sympathy when you fail or make mistakes. It should be obvious that such actions don't really help and have the effect of perpetuating our misery and limiting our ability to act on the circumstances that cause us to fail or make mistakes. I don't mean to say that such people are evil and/or should be avoided. They do so with the best of intentions. We tend to like people who sympathize with us and not like people who are pragmatic. That might not be in one's best interest.
The ones that care would also be of the kind who will be "truly" happy for you when you do succeed. One can usually detect "jealousy", "flattery" etc in the wrong kind.
In short, there is a case for one to be grateful to the people who give us a hard time because they care. Just something to think about.
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