Reflect Relentlessly

I got a medallion recently with the words "Amor Fati" engraved on it. It's Latin for "a love of fate." On the other side it says, "Not merely to bear what is necessary, still less conceal it... but love it." It is a nice physical reminder of my new attitude toward life, which is one of acceptance. Acceptance of what life has in store for me. Acceptance of the world as it is, and of other people as they are. And acceptance of myself -- my faults and imperfections; my stress and anxiety; my grief and guilt; my love and hope. Things cannot be any different than they are. Is this fate; is everything predestined? Are we not in control -- do our actions not matter? Of course, our actions matter. Every action we take creates a branch in reality -- a particular universe in the infinite multiverse. (Yes, I think the universe -- the multiverse -- works exactly as described in  Everything Everywhere All at Once.)  We choose the reality we live in with our actions...

It is ironic that as I'm about to write a post on the dangers of overthinking I'm spending much too long pondering the title and the best way to start. It's a great way to not get a post published this week either. But I'd rather get something subpar out than nothing at all. Umm, I mean, this post is a great work of literature which is well worth your time and money. (Don't worry about the money part for now. That's a problem for the future you.) Do Newton's laws of motion explain human nature as well as they explain the physical universe? I think they do. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction" is fairly self-evident. Reciprocity is the basis for many a human interaction. Through human history we have made laws to mete out equal punishment for crimes. Hammurabi's code demanded an eye for an eye. Selena Gomez wants us to kill [our detractors] with kindness (even if they don't die they'll be hella confused). Secretary of State ...

Humans are complex is such a trite statement. Then why do we struggle to come to terms with this simple fact? Words and actions often contradict each other; there should be nothing surprising about that. Yet these contradictions upset us.  Hypocrite , we like to triumphantly label whenever we see such a contradiction. But who among us is not guilty of being one? Exhibit A: yours truly. I claim to be a long-term thinker and planner. I was making plans for applying to colleges in the U.S. before I even finished tenth grade -- in fact, probably a lot earlier. I sacrificed having a social life in college because I was working hard for a well-paying job after graduating (I will maintain that this was entirely by choice and not because no one invited me to any parties anyway. I got invited to lots of very cool and happening parties, thank you very much). One of my favorite adages to share with others is "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room," ...