Tag: philosophy

Although it is much more satisfying and stimulating to be guided strictly by interest as one progresses in one’s studies, there is no doubt that sometimes this approach can lead to a feeling of stagnation. This is because, by taking the opposite approach, that is, by conducting a systematic and in-depth study in a specific area of knowledge, progress becomes all too evident. Terminology, once absorbed, becomes commonplace; more and more details are assimilated, in an act that also strengthens the basis of the discipline, which seems to become increasingly obvious. However, on this path, one usually reaches a point where one notices the great distance already accomplished from that initial stimulus that motivated interest. Then, the philosophical impulse, which is essentially synthesizing, complains about the uselessness of specialization and calls for breadth. Thus, the tendency is to adopt the previous stance. Stagnation and uselessness, therefore, are the ghosts that the student must learn to dispel.

It is difficult to direct the will and control when one will achieve what one wants. Most of the time, when time does not cause the intention to fade, be it long-term, then it will come only when it has to come. Except for a mistake, it is Swami Sivananda who says that the noblest desires are only fulfilled by renouncing them, after many tears and great wear and tear. In any case, immersion in the process sometimes distracts the mind from the progress it is making; one progresses imperceptibly, when not experiencing a feeling of stagnation. When one least realizes it, the desired goal has been achieved or, in more beautiful cases, it simply appears, as if by grace.

One aspect that is overlooked, but which clearly marks the evolution of a personality, is the succession of breakups, conscious or not, which solidify what can be called the past and increase the list of what has already been overcome. Here, friendships come into play. Losing them without trauma, willingly if not voluntarily, is a sign that one is moving in some direction. Thus, not losing them should be a cause for concern, as should the prolonged absence of significant breakups, as they may signal unwanted stagnation. When one moves forward, something is always left behind.

As intense as the desire to study and learn is the anguish experienced on those days when possible knowledge seems irrelevant, possibilities extremely limited, and the means of learning insufficient. And it seems that time only intensifies them, as death approaches and conclusions must be reached quickly. At the same time, the urgency and sense of lost time worsen, at a stage when one thought it could be appeased. There is no solution: one must let the fleeting nature of it all pass and make the most of the positive, stimulating, perhaps somewhat illusory impulse, but one that does not run out and always provides a reason to want to wake up.