Allowing oneself to become entangled in the web of tasks and responsibilities of mundane life practically seals, for as long as this state lasts, the possibility of the mind realizing how much is being wasted. This can only be realized later, with luck, when the waste has already been consummated. The positive side of the situation is that learning usually requires the mistake to be experienced personally; that is, first the slip, then the lesson. Without temporarily wasting itself, the mind does not assimilate the concrete consequences of doing so. But it so happens that, after a certain point, what was instructive has either been assimilated or proven innocuous, and the mind has either decided to transform itself or accepted to lock itself into an endless cycle of repetition.
Tag: philosophy
It Is Truly Commendable the Effort of Unamuno…
It is truly commendable the effort of Unamuno to try to verbalize the feeling he experiences, perhaps discovered only after a careful look inside himself, that there is an indescribable force always present in the decisive moments of his life, in which he had to make decisions. Noticing it is not a simple task, and sometimes it is only possible when time passes, and the irreversible effects of the decision are drawn in the past. It is even more difficult to admit, since the evidence is concentrated in the nebulous field of subjectivity, which rejects the possibility of clear and rational understanding. The hardest thing, however, is to try to express it: words seem insufficient, never corresponding to the real feeling. To do so is necessarily to expose oneself to ridicule; it is to say something and then immediately want to take it back. Of all that can be said about Del sentimiento trágico de la vida, the most important thing is this: this book is a demonstration of courage.
“Time Has Passed”
Not everyone is fortunate enough to experience in this life the pedagogical sensation that “time has passed.” This sensation, which varies depending on circumstances, usually points to the consequences of having postponed a decision. However, there are times when it shows very clearly that a decision has indeed been made. This happens to those who, after a certain age, observe their old acquaintances, some of whom were close until just yesterday, and realize that they have all taken a path, accepted what life had to offer, made choices, continued their parents’ work. Few can experience this, for they are precisely those who did not act as expected, transgressing the natural course of life, breaking with the pattern. Then, “time has passed”: one can no longer go back, nor reintegrate into the norm; one has decided without realizing it. And how quickly it all happens! Now, everything becomes very clear, and the fortunate one who experiences it can finally commit to his decision forever.
It Is Necessary to Have Compassion…
It is necessary to have compassion because, as Buddhism says, suffering is very evenly distributed, and we almost never know what motivates an action. We judge automatically, and rarely reflect on our ability to judge, which is non-existent when based on mere conventions. Man is nothing. He benefits himself, not his neighbor, when he tries to understand. And when he does not understand, something can be gained by pity; nothing by condemnation.