No free lunch, no free ride, no free life
My personal philosophy dictates that to deserve one’s days here on Earth, one must continue to learn. Of course, the turning of the year is the time when many of us resolve to improve ourselves in one way or another — quit smoking, watch less TV, volunteer more, lose some weight, save more money. When it comes to self-improvement, however, been there, done that. I’m as good as I’m going to get.
Those of you naive enough to keep trying to be “better” to your mother-in-law, more disciplined when tempted by crème brulee, more patient with your parents, lots of luck. I personally am not feeling hopeful on your behalf.
I propose that we set aside resolutions that force us to carve our imperfect natural selves into some kind of improved version. Think you can become good-natured and generous when it’s just not in your DNA? Give it up, buddy. Resolved to sit in the den, look into your wife’s eyes and discuss Jane Austen when all you really want to do is turn on the football game? You might pull it off for a night or two, but eventually your resolve will dissolve. You just aren’t Oprah, my man. Own it.
What I suggest is eminently doable and, in fact, necessary. Perhaps you’ve noticed that people die. You’ve even considered the fact, the absolute, incontrovertible fact that you and I will die, sooner or later. There is no wiggle room. With that as a given, and with our days finite, we have an obligation to keep learning new stuff as we get older because otherwise we are wasting parts of ourselves, leaking away valuable time, participating in the dying process before we need to. There is no such thing as reaching a point where you’ve learned enough. Every day is a blank slate, and it’s up to us to write its story.
Neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote a piece in The New York Times recently making the scientific case that the human brain is capable of new growth and development even in old age. He urged us to take on new intellectual challenges to keep our minds facile and stimulated.
