Love this and agree with most of it. My own list of “hard truths” also includes:
“You don’t have to do anything but die.”
“Your life can be awesome if you make it so.”
“Death, mediocrity, and ignorance are the default.”
“Wishing and pretending don’t make it so.”
Re: “certainty is an illusion,” I’d modify that to “omniscience/infallibility is an illusion.” I think writing off certainty as impossible risks lowering our epistemic bar in a way that’s actually low-agency (as I’ve written about here: https://builders.genagorlin.com/p/intellectual-humility-is-a-copout ).
Anyway, love the spirit of what you’re getting at here!
Why are these truths hard? Where are you going? What's the rush? Where's the joy? You have been gifted awareness and agency and the freedom to explore so many possibilities. What are you trying to do with your life that makes it so difficult? It sounds like you are carrying a heavy burden. I don't get it.
I'm saying these truths are hard for most people to grasp because it puts your entire life in your own hands, which can be as scary as it is liberating.
Love this and agree with most of it. My own list of “hard truths” also includes:
“You don’t have to do anything but die.”
“Your life can be awesome if you make it so.”
“Death, mediocrity, and ignorance are the default.”
“Wishing and pretending don’t make it so.”
Re: “certainty is an illusion,” I’d modify that to “omniscience/infallibility is an illusion.” I think writing off certainty as impossible risks lowering our epistemic bar in a way that’s actually low-agency (as I’ve written about here: https://builders.genagorlin.com/p/intellectual-humility-is-a-copout ).
Anyway, love the spirit of what you’re getting at here!
good one! very true!
Busyness is not equal to purpose
Well that is a hard pill to swallow!!!
Good one!
Why are these truths hard? Where are you going? What's the rush? Where's the joy? You have been gifted awareness and agency and the freedom to explore so many possibilities. What are you trying to do with your life that makes it so difficult? It sounds like you are carrying a heavy burden. I don't get it.
I'm saying these truths are hard for most people to grasp because it puts your entire life in your own hands, which can be as scary as it is liberating.
“Dying with your music inside of you” is the biggest wake up call. I love that metaphor.
one of my absolute favorites—full quote:
“Many people die with their music still in them. Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it time runs out.”
― Oliver Wendall Holmes
don’t hide behind proxy’s, face uncertainty head on
you can just face uncertainties
Move or get moved on. Act or react. Implement your own codex, or be governed by others
it really do be like that
you're my #1 hype man, Max—can't tell you how much i appreciate it 🫶