Overhaul Life
by Roy T James
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What is life? It is much easier to say, what is living. Life, in fact is nothing but an aggregate of all that takes place as a part of living. Especially for all other than humans ...
Like a machine, which we overhaul at specified intervals to get rid of the unnecessary that get collected while in use, we can think of restructuring our social life routinely. Then, the mystic elements that gets attached to our life, unlike now, would not hold the center stage anywhere.
But those are the dear components of human life, which we hold at high esteem. Let us visit the origins of knowledge, an aggregate of all that we appreciate. What will overhaul our life is nothing but an overhaul of our lifestyle.
Excerpt:
What is life? It is much easier to say, what is living. Life, in fact is nothing but an aggregate of all that takes place as a part of living. Especially for all other than humans, this definition can make things very clear. You see, now, one can immediately link all that happens to any aspect of life to something understandable, and readily relatable.
But that is not that easy, as far as humans go. Much of what happens remains rather unclear, even if one is to give due allowance for personal priorities of each. For example, why should graduation cause a celebration?
It looks like, humans are perpetually looking for a reason to celebrate, or despise, or do something that can lead to a big impact. Why should they? It’s a part of our life.
Then, what is life, for a human?
For all variety of living things other than ourselves, I think, life does not seem to be an issue that is of any trouble. For, all are following the same style and extent, more or less all the while. Whereas, human race is nothing but the changes, mostly called improvements, that constantly happen to it. Also, unlike we humans, there is no lingering commotion other than what is absolutely necessary for the fail-safe propagation of species.
But, for humans, I think, life is something totally different. However, being a human, I, as well as all those who take to pontificating on this, will not be able to get a good look at it, more so, from different, distinct viewpoints. Since I am not able to meet an essential need for studying this any further, let me now take life as an aggregate of all that we do in the name of living.
Now, what is living?
As far as human is concerned, living, in fact is more than one activity. At least two, one can say. For the sake of my understanding, let me simplify those as:
One, living, with transactions that are more or less real in nature, taking recourse to those imaginary, only when one is free from meeting the essential needs of living. Like working with a commitment, earning, supporting oneself and others, and also adapting to whatever is the social structure. The social structure being one which facilitate both real and imaginary transactions. In fact, this is the only style, all people will adopt, if things are to follow its natural course. Because, in this way of living, all that we do shall be producing visible and reckon-able results or benefits. And one need not take efforts to learn that what one did is in fact good for oneself.
Two, living, with transactions that are more or less imaginary in nature, but for meeting the essential needs of living, and other unavoidable circumstances. Like thinking in abstract terms and deriving and collating a social structure for all, and also monitoring dynamically, the performance of both styles of living. Here, for all that we do, more than the end product of the activity, the activity itself is the one delivering the most returns. Hence, the more one engages with it, the more, the feelings of contentment and bliss.
Now, how do we actually do living?
The vast majority of the populace for the most part of their life follow living style number one. Which is also the style adopted by a minority of the populace, if and when essentially needed for staying alive. This minority, for most part of their life, and the majority of the populace for some part of their life, follow style number two. That is, in almost all cases, whenever we make a mention of, discuss, plan, or specify, living, the latter sense, and when we actually do living, the former meaning, assumes significance. Consequentially, the ones who do not resort to the latter style, though would have been charting a very successful path in all that they do, may not be able to get the feeling of accomplishment. One can easily see that this leads to instances of discontentment, rather, a big gap between what we do, and what we think we are doing.
What results from living?
In fact, this discontentment, as well as the resulting gap, is neither felt directly, nor as one that can be understood as one. However, this remains as a lingering unease that prompts one to take refuge in whatever is one’s chosen path, and at one’s will and comfort. Some of us vent it in appeasement of divinities, some others may take to certain habits like drugs, and many of us select a path of total dedication to one’s sphere of interest, like one’s profession or service. Drugs, we despise, and divinities, we extol. But, the unease hiding in the path of dedication, we completely miss, when we name human society as one naturally violent. Also, since each of us take to both the styles of living, where, in one style, this discontentment is of help, and is cherished by all, by increasing one’s productivity, for example. In the other style of living, we do not get to register this at all, as an issue needing attention, since it is drowned, in merrymaking, or in the flutter of rituals, for example. Whatever does not get drowned fully, reappear as enhanced attributes or ability, like poetic, literary, artistic, or intellectual, all of which, we welcome.
What do the results of living lead to?
Thus, we have accepted two main modes of living, which could be termed as, the real, and the imaginary. These two modes are part of the natural character of life, the human race has. Of which, the real mode refers to the life we live, and the imaginary mode, to the life, we think, we live. But, since none of the modes account for the lingering discontentment, it reappears as some form of violence that permeates the human society in full.
That makes human life, a bag of unease. And our societies, pots of boil.
Yes, the whole mankind knows it, and are always working on it. Many devote their full attention, and a stream of measures constantly come out, be it from the religious angle, or from the political bosses. The large multitude that is waiting for a new remedy, instantly grabs every cure. Unfortunately, all these cures fail. Since, only the symptom, that is violence, is addressed, and the malady, the discontentment, is never taken into account.
