On Reflection
Who are we, but dust settled on shaken earth, only to be picked up and cast away again. What self is this, but a shadow dancing on the wall. What is this waking life, just one in a billion, among a trillion more, cast across the void.
In this essay I’m taking a spiritual respite from the overt themes of pragmatism, mental fortitude and clarity. As you can probably see from the opening passage - I’m putting on my best ‘poet - nihilist - philosopher’ hat today.
Not every Sunday should be dedicated to the relentless call of duty.
Sometimes the Path circles us back to territory we have seen before. At times, the Path forces us to stop and reflect.
Sometimes the call to mastery demands a descent into passive melancholy.
Stop, take stock, shed the unnecessary baggage and burn the dead wood.
The Drift
It can be very easy to get trapped in the toxic productivity zone.
I have to work. I can’t stop. I won’t stop. [insert amazing person] wouldn’t stop, so how can I?
I inevitably hit burnout, set aside my current project and punish myself. Like a good Catholic.
While many technocrats and influencers evangelize a life of endless ‘doing’, it’s important to remember Marcus Aurelius also tells us to stop and:
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.
As each day and week present something new, I enjoy the process of solving difficult problems. I also enjoy the act of not trying to solve anything.
I enjoy a pleasant drift. Sometimes in a melancholic state, remembering that person, an experience or time of my life.
In others, it’s a more metaphysical drift. Pondering about our place on this rock floating through space.
Either way, it’s meditative. Thoughts drift in and out. My mind plays with ideas and I resign myself to 3rd person mode.
Try it sometime. Don’t overthink it. Just stop doing all the dumb shit you are doing and be still.
Skynet Won’t Let You Drift
We have lived a very brief moment of our evolution where distractions are as incessant and readily available as they are today.
That’s why it feels nice to drift sometimes.
Our ancestors would have spent ample time drifting. A day spent hunting and gathering wasn’t followed up by 6 hours staring at a handheld super computer before sleep.
Stop and drift.
Something tells me the next couple generations are all we have left to do that. I can’t imagine by the time we are implanting generation 10 Neuralinks into people’s brains it will be turning them into monks.
The merging of man and machine seems inevitable, and a robot’s utility isn’t best optimized in sleep mode.
Find that moment of respite and try to engage ‘primitive mode’ in the brain. It will do wonders for you. Our reptilian cousins enjoy that on default. And they don’t complain much.
Take a Drift Today
Enjoy this Sunday, my friends.
I am rooting for you to lovingly embrace a moment of not doing or caring about a single goddamn thing.
Then, get back to it. The Universe is waiting for you to delight and surprise us.
See you next week,
Tobias
Thank you for this piece. It’s ironic because I’ve spent this last week busy writing a piece for my substack, starting my first screenplay and researching med schools. On Saturday I chose to ignore the notifications I set for myself and do just spend the day watching films and sleeping. I felt a lot more energized and ready to work today.
A couple of days ago I got my car serviced. While waiting in the lobby, entertained by my cell phone, it crashed. I had no book to read or other diversion. For an hour and a half, I suppressed my concern for my cell, and I was forced to just drift. I sat back, just me and myself keeping each other company. It was quite nice, actually. It was peaceful. Turns out my cell only needed charging and I was soon back in go mode. To drift on purpose instead of happenstance is the thing. Thanks for the reminder!