On life: Zest Vs. Languor

Someone wise must have said: “There are two ways of living one’s life. One is to seize every day by its collar and wear it on the buttons you choose to lock. The other is to realize and accept that the day has been made already (and it fits you in an abstract way); it really doesn’t matter whether you wear it (or what buttons hang loose) – just make peace with it”.  Although I made these philosophies up, I find that these are legitimate principles (and I am sure there are some fancy words in the philosophy books for both of them) and it is intriguing to see the differences of approach they hold for living the same biological lives we are all born with.

Recently, as part of a semi enjoyable job I do (great hours) I came across a musician whose restlessness bordered on the irritating. He talked quick, heard quick, took it upon himself a great many things to do, he stood, ran, jumped and because he is a bit of a celebrity, did so with confidence. If you look at it the objective way he is an enthusiastic person who deals each moment with great zest and energy. A shining example for the “Carpe Diem” school of thought. I however felt like he had tipped his philosophy into overdrive and was now potential poster boy for everything that can go wrong with seizing so much of the day. His rush was irksome. (Personally, I like people who can sit down and steady for some amount of time).

I have some friends who reside on a completely opposite spectrum on the same matter. A few take things with so much languor that time elongates to a straight line and one can follow the sun in its movement. The idea is to let it come to you (Some call it laziness or a general lack of confidence). Of course these examples represent somewhat of an exaggeration for both approaches to life. Balance is of great importance.

There is a way of doing things that is wired into us, I think. Me and my friends (to some moderate degree I feel myself included in the more laid back side of the scale) have it inside us a mellower voice that is not programmed to raise its pitch by much. In a way, we are probably taking it slow and I think (and hope) there is such a philosophy to life as well. 

Because if one really takes it upon oneself to question, what is life, there can only be one answer we can all agree upon. It is living. There are a hundred ways to this. The general rule of thumb is: live and let live. After that, approaches can differ to the breadth of the Amazon. The ones presented above are perhaps just two of many but they echo a greater theme—does one make one’s life (seize the day)  or is this whole process of making an illusion that can actually divert one from living. Ideally we would have liked to be right in the middle, striking a happy pose on balance, but aren’t we all, by our nature and environment, somewhere in one or the other side?

Chiya-Pasaley loves tea and writes about conversations that originate along the hours spent on drinking many cups of it. Besides that he is curious about many things and especially the rural-urban divide, and the coming of modernization to Nepal. He writes on the mundane and the very fantastic, and everything in between. 

http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2011/12/10/on-life-zest-vs-languor