There’s something too self-consciously grand about some of those
little sound bites of wisdom that profess to proclaim profound truths. I don’t
mind things like ‘All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely
players.’ What I have a problem with are those that flaunt their clever
conciseness and expect us to take it as proof of their unquestionable veracity.
Things like:
Any existence deprived
of freedom is a kind of death.
This is perfectly true in some situations, but as a general
axiom it’s unsatisfying. Firstly, you have to define ‘freedom.’ And it might be
equally well stated that any existence in which freedom is all you have can
also be a form of death.
2 comments:
the italicised statement is one that I hold close to my heart but as you allude to...yes perhaps it is mere illusion...or misperception. Humans are good at that. I think some of us ;) eg the ones that think too much make existence seem more painful than it needs to be.
I didn't mean to imply either illusion or misperception, Zhen. I was just making the point that life is rather too complex for a single sound bite. I think people place more store by them than they deserve, that's all.
As for thinking too much, let's put it this way. If you're a natural thinker, you have to think, otherwise you're denying your nature - not being true to yourself. And the more you think, the more you see the bigger picture and the more complex patterns. That's a fact. And sometimes I do switch off because sometimes it gets too much.
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