Even when we lack for nothing materially and even interpersonally (or especially when we lack for nothing, because then we are not distracted by the demands of necessity), our consciousness still torments us, to the point where seeking to soothe and pacify this insatiable inner craving and discontent is one of our major activities and expenses (be it by football, alcohol, opioids, workaholism, religion, or reading articles on the Internet). Taoism, Buddhism, and Stoicism are some of the thought systems that have attempted to confront this directly. What is this bone-deep, incessant dissatisfaction, the ground bass of self-awareness that we hear when all the other noise stops (Henderson the Rain King’s “I want I want I want”)? Is it only human, an artifact of our incomplete evolution, or is it shared by, say, cats and cetaceans, perfected by evolution 30 million years ago? Is it about knowing we’re going to die? Is it just about the ebb and flow of physiological states of need and satiation? Should we strive to extinguish it? Should we harness it to drive ourselves somewhere worthwhile instead of driving us crazy?
Frontpaging myself . . .
shamelessly. From a comment I posted on this (which gave me the opening to draft something I’d been thinking about anyway):
Undeniable
Your enemies scoffed. Your friends fretted, the closest of them doing so silently, almost stoically. You had none of these feelings, for reasons you could not explain even to those most cherished.
The future was yours to shape as you will — it is your Austerlitz Day! No whim or caprice shall be denied you today; the heavens do not grant these days freely or often. But it is this day, more than any other that reminds of what great triumphs you can achieve. Do not fret or fear any obstacle; wryly view these as that which makes your success that much more amazing, more profound! See your as yet unaccomplished goals in life as already vanquished foes, praying for your mercy and forbearance! Your strength is more than willing to be generous in their defeat, because you know that the Fates could have turned on you and not them. Forward! Even more glory awaits!
Ambiance 