I bought this book because of its playful nature. I especially love this quote:
So quantum physics is neat stuff. But what does that have to do with dogs?
Dogs come to quantum physics in a better position than most humans. They approach the world with fewer preconceptions than humans, and they expect the unexpected.
This post isn’t about quantum mechanics, it’s about our attitudes towards change, the unknown. The quote reminds me of Proust’s,
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
I don’t know about you, but my world is constantly changing. Things I’ve done automatically have to be figured out again and again. Aargh! Except having a spirit of adventure and a sense of humor works better for me than being frustrated.
The nature of life is constant change.
The nature of humans is to resist that change.
I don’t thing Orzel is right about dogs and change… I know quite a few who get upset about it… and I think we humans have a choice about how we react. I know I’m a lot happier when I focus on how I’m responding rather than on how things “shouldn’t be this way.”
What about you? Do you agree with Orzel that we should shed some of our preconceptions and expect the unexpected?
April 7, 2021
It is so true that the older we are, the more we like predictability and the comfort of routines. But that is not life, is it? So when something different happens, I tey to think of it as an adventure.
It helps a lot!
Boy am I behind reading your blog. I must be honest, but with SOME aspects of lifestyle, I am a bit autistic and appreciate routine. Other aspects, I like change & adventure. That’s normal human nature, isn’t it?
Now, gotta catch up with your posts.
It’s a matter of balance. When too many things are changing I have soothing rituals — jigsaw and other puzzles, etc.—and in the past when things were too routine I looked for challenges. Nowadays I don’t have to go looking, except for the excitement of learning new things that I can do at my own pace from the comfort of my own home. At the moment I’m on a high from that.
Yes.
🙂
in this last few months, I’ve been looking back at aspects of my life and in some ways sad because of the methodology that was used at the time – be it way back when I was a toddler and a pediatric doctor made a diagnosis that if I was that toddler now, more aspects would be looked into…and then jump quite a few decades from that 1950s baby and the same medical system in place are not the systems in place today…
so to that end, change is inevitable – hopefully always on the positive side although there are still folk falling through gaps because either they are living somewhere methodology isn’t strong or somehow folk are locked in “what went before”
and adding to that is the latest in appliances, this in relationship to my brand new range-hood (part of gov’t tenancy laws that the hood must be ducted to the outside, the other one wasn’t)- that isn’t like my previous gadget, it’s touch operational and it does a splendid job. Including easier in the dark to have light on instantly in the kitchen…
I’m done with commenting on this matter – but I know all day I will thinking of advance and change…
It’s always nice when the changes are things we like. 🙂
yes! I think life is constant change. it’s the one true thing about life!
probably the way for having real happiness is to learn to accept it as the “adventure” you call it! puts a whole different perspective on it! 😀 xo
It certainly beats fighting life. 🙂
first let me say i have no clue what quantum physics is. i looked it up and found this answer which makes me wonder who the heck wrote the definitions
the branch of physics concerned with quantum theory. well Duh. since at this time in my life, which is the same as yours, i don’t really care what it is.
i too am doing what you are doing, trying to do what I always did without thinking by thinking. i can say from my experience with 6 dogs in past 37 years, they all hated change. all of them wee routine and habitual and got really upset about change, Bob and I are routine/habitual so that might have something to do with it. both Big and Beau took months to adjust to moving here and from being dumped by ownes 4 times in that many years.’
I agree completely with having new eyes. I am working on a few issues right now by looking at the changes that are occurring with new eyes. that even applies to looking at myself with new eyes. also understanding the back story of someone or some issue can be with new eyes and change what we see completely.
I’m with you about getting to decide what I want to learn or not learn. That’s one of the greatest luxuries there is, I think. 🙂
I think that expecting the unexpected certainly helps in coping with change.
I’ve always been big on routine and when something disrupted my day it greatly affected my mood. Oddly though, I handle big change better than small change.
I can understand that. 🙂
Change is going to happen whether we want it to or not so we might as well embrace it.
Amen to that!
I am on phone and have too much to say to try to tap it all. I think dogs especially are creatures of habit…one dig my daughter had expected her to go to bed at 10:00 and would go on, and if dayghtecdid not come soon, she would be back looking for her. Other daughters cat got upset if she went on vacation with friends…even though where home.
I know, his dog is idealized. 🙂
Like others have said, I find comfort in sameness. Particularly when (to my way of thinking) the world about us seems to be falling apart. Unsettling. Better I adopt my son’s philosophy and ’embrace the chaos.’
For me it’s a balance. That’s why certain rituals can be soothing, They can help us restore that balance.
I always expect the unexpected. Life is so bizarre that absolutely anything could happen. When we started 2020 we had no idea that a virus pandemic would soon be ravaging the world. As you and Tammy say, we just have to treat every new experience as an adventure.
Yes. 🙂
Absolutely! That’s how I’ve managed to survive with my sanity intact and mostly enjoyed life with some humor in the process.
It makes a huge difference. 🙂