Under the spell of boredom
We want to escape, not because we have a choice but because we don’t. Which explains why those who can escape often don’t. They stick…
We want to escape, not because we have a choice but because we don’t. Which explains why those who can escape often don’t. They stick around hoping for a given situation to improve. Time is invested and so are emotions. Probably why escaping would be tantamount to accepting that you failed and you don’t want such a smear on your name. Now, do you?
Each one of us alive has his share of struggles. Nobody is spared whether you’re rich or poor, young or wrinkled. As we grow — old or up, depending on where you are — we face different problems. Some are manifested by us while others are foreign creations. Either way, you are in the middle of a circle without a corner. If you are wise enough, not necessarily smart, you will learn to not only move out of this circle but also ensure that you never find yourself in such a spot ever again. In fact, it defines the very difference between being wise and being smart.
However, an enormous however, if you are stuck and aren’t able to untangle yourself, then you are compelled to jump for the extreme. And such an act comes at a price. Let’s say, college is tough on you and you don’t really see yourself making much out of those academic credentials. Here, there are two extremes in front of you. One, you slap yourself and get through to the graduation day. Two, you quit. The first option seems stoic because it entails suffering. The second option seems heroic because it inures you to heartbreak. A dropout fails once but succeeds twice.
Let’s fast-forward a bit. You are a professional with a lot of responsibilities. You depend on your organization for worldly needs and vice versa. After a long while, you think you’re done. You feel sore from repeating yourself again and again and again. Due to continued practice, you’ve gotten great at what you accomplish but you keep wondering, what if, etc?
Of course, being a coward, you don’t want to risk heroism. So you stay put.
In the back of your head, you know the answers to pretty much all your existential queries. Like they say at NASA, it’s not rocket science. You just want others to spell it out for you. Time has taught you that running into the woods is not the remedy to your internal crisis. Besides, it’s not about your reputation anyway. Who cares who won the battle? The conflict is against yourself. And under any condition, the forest isn’t for you. Evolution has confirmed so. A sojourn, yes. An exile, no. Insofar, how long before you get bored of the pure green in there?