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July 19, 2004
Idealism: The pursuit of uncertainty.
Thats the problem with idealism. It is far less certain. We place tremendous value on certainty and security in this country. We sacrifice a tremendous amount of experience and growth in the name of certainty. We devalue ourselves and our potential as we try and mitigate risk. It is through risk we truly discover new selves, others and our own. It is the road less traveled which in hindsight will have made all the difference. We waste tremendous energy on the 'what if', which is always a 'what if something bad happens." Well what if something good happens? Or what if something happens that is neither good nor bad? You can't stop the unexpected, though we try. We build ourselves protective biospheres where we can control as many of the variables as possible, trying to avoid pain. We can not avoid pain, but we can redeem ourselves by not become slaves to the threat of pain. We can't truly 'live' while under the constant threat of change. Change is inevitable, it is the threat that is of our own design.
If it is certainty you are looking for, do what they tell you, and no one will get hurt.
Posted by wonko at July 19, 2004 05:30 PM
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Comments
Wow, I sense a change in the force.
Posted by: obigabu at July 19, 2004 06:14 PM
risk & uncertainty... agreed that uncertainty opens the path to experience. But experience through uncertainty is not necessarily guaranteed by, or equal to, constant self-imposed change. Some levels of understanding can only be reached by building on previous levels, established levels. Following the established to its own level of uncertainty can also give insight to levels never before attained (in a way, taking whats safe and been done, and bringing that to the next level). Some placed can't be reached without first building on what's established. I do agree, though, that no risk = death of all things progress, mental or physical. People in this country (and most civilized societies) do place far to much faith in certainty, when certainty is utter and complete illusion. No job, relationship, physical condition is EVER certain, and to believe that what goes up shall always remain there is foolist, self-deluting, and innocently ignorant. Change is constant. hey!
Posted by: falke at July 26, 2004 06:49 PM
Wow...do you ever have a moment where you hear exactly what you need to hear at exactly the right moment you needed to hear it?
Thanks.
Posted by: darmabumette at July 29, 2004 05:56 PM
Yes, darmabummette (great JK reference BTW). Sometimes things just fall into place with no explanation. Not sure why.
Posted by: Wonko at July 29, 2004 06:00 PM
Don't be idealistic about the value of risk taking.
"This too will change."
Don't forget about the "this" in that statement.
Don't pursue uncertainty. But when it comes along embrace it. It came along? Fine. It left? That's fine too.
Posted by: Andrew at August 1, 2004 05:42 PM
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