It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility; they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.
— Charlotte BronteMan needs, for his happiness, not only the enjoyment of this or that, but hope and enterprise and change.
— Bertrand RussellLife is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
—Albert Einstein
Do any of these resonate with you?
February 22, 2021
I totally agree with the first one. So many men want to explore frontiers and diaplace anyone who was there first, and also some thrive on war.
Do you think it’s true of women too, not the war and frontiers, but the need for some action, variety?
I tell myself the essence of that last one all the time. Staying active is very important.
That’s certainly true of Andy and me…and our doctor loves it.
The last one really strikes a cord with me.
And I think man needs to feel there is hope.
Yes. 🙂
The third one speaks to me and it’s how I get through a lot of things—by telling myself to just keep moving, even if it’s just one step at a time.
You’re amazing, not getting overwhelmed by all you have to do.
To me, all three of these imply that in order to be happy you have to keep achieving something more.
It doesn’t mean achieving exactly. I think it means being engaged in something. For me it’s the process that counts more than the product.
I recognize myself in the first of these. Despite having a presumably great life, while in my 20’s and 30’s I’d become bored easily. Nowadays, however, I’m delighted to be living in the Slow Lane.
We’re in the Very Slow Lane, but we’re still (slowly) active. 😀
I still need variety. If I do one thing too long I get tired of it and want something new. That’s why reading works so well for me–always a new book waiting. Maybe a completely different genre.
I’m with you, a certain amount of variety is important to my mental health, so is a certain amount of sameness/stability. It’s a balance and everyone has their own preferences.