We should never stop learning from our influences; but at the same time it is important not to obsess about our imperfections and gaps in our education but live life as is. It is always a balance. And complexity is at the root of it.
As a child, I took those age-old maxims (necessity is the mother of invention, a friend in need is a friend indeed, do to others what you would do unto yourself, etc.) to heart and I believed firmly in the goodness of my child friends and adults around me to do the same. Numerous instances of heartbreak and trust exploitation notwithstanding, it was, and is, in my personality to continue to believe in their fundamental, universal applicability. As I was growing up, I tried to draw strength from whichever maxim struck me as apt for a particular situation.
At the ripe age of 27, three realizations dawned on me: that there were too many maxims to fit into any coherent way of life, there were many maxims that conflict with each other (e.g. my mom advising me to pay attention to my Ph.D and stop helping my sick roommate the extra bit), and almost all maxims leave it to the implementer to interpret the degree and magnitude of their import (e.g. how much to help a friend? What if he asks for all your savings in his need?). Enough was enough, for it was a confusing life being led astray by whatever past moralities struck one's fancy at different times. Some wise, spiritual texts then revealed to me that there lies a few uber-maxims that are antecedents to most others, and what's more it was simpler and at the same time more practical to be guided by these spiritual ones. And so, my mad rush through life, led helter and skelter by all lights that shine, has turned into a walking race now, with occasional detours, but nevertheless broadly sticking to the lit, visible course.
Soon, I hope, I would remember to rest, to start with in spurts between spells of walking, and then eventually, at the finish.
As a child, I took those age-old maxims (necessity is the mother of invention, a friend in need is a friend indeed, do to others what you would do unto yourself, etc.) to heart and I believed firmly in the goodness of my child friends and adults around me to do the same. Numerous instances of heartbreak and trust exploitation notwithstanding, it was, and is, in my personality to continue to believe in their fundamental, universal applicability. As I was growing up, I tried to draw strength from whichever maxim struck me as apt for a particular situation.
At the ripe age of 27, three realizations dawned on me: that there were too many maxims to fit into any coherent way of life, there were many maxims that conflict with each other (e.g. my mom advising me to pay attention to my Ph.D and stop helping my sick roommate the extra bit), and almost all maxims leave it to the implementer to interpret the degree and magnitude of their import (e.g. how much to help a friend? What if he asks for all your savings in his need?). Enough was enough, for it was a confusing life being led astray by whatever past moralities struck one's fancy at different times. Some wise, spiritual texts then revealed to me that there lies a few uber-maxims that are antecedents to most others, and what's more it was simpler and at the same time more practical to be guided by these spiritual ones. And so, my mad rush through life, led helter and skelter by all lights that shine, has turned into a walking race now, with occasional detours, but nevertheless broadly sticking to the lit, visible course.
Soon, I hope, I would remember to rest, to start with in spurts between spells of walking, and then eventually, at the finish.
