Why You Should Live More Like Black Holes
Yes, those life-sucking balls of destruction.
The idea of a black hole has always scared me.
I’m sure I’m not alone on this.
You’re telling me there are big, black balls of destruction out there sucking the life out of anything that gets in their way?
Yeah, no thanks.
I’ll hang out over here far away from that thing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but black holes are often seen as the bad guys in space.
The scary guys.
Today, I read an article by Regina G. Barber, an astrophysicist with many great titles under her name.
She talks about a discussion she had on black holes with Priyamvada Natarajan, an astrophysicist at Yale University who studies supermassive black holes.
Now, I have no background in physics.
But this article changed my perspective on life.
Barber talks about how this conversation made her realize that these extremely dense celestial bodies aren’t just destroying everything they encounter. She says they’re also “overflowing with valuable life lessons” npr.org.
How can black holes teach us how to live a better life? You may be asking.
Oh let me explain what I learned.
It’s a true game-changer.
First, a bit of history (and mathematics).
In 1915 Einstein published his general theory of relativity. He presented the idea that the bigger something is, the more it alters the space around it.
Then, a few months later, Karl Schwarzschild came out with the idea of a black hole.
He asked himself:
“[A]ccording to Einstein’s rules, what would happen if spacetime was warped by an enormous mass that was squeezed down to occupy the smallest possible space — essentially a single point? This point of infinite mass is known as a singularity” npr.org.
He essentially challenged Einstein’s work by pushing the limits of his equations.
And Einstein did not like this.
He didn’t like that Schwarzschild’s solution implied that there could be something so extreme that didn’t follow these rules of physics.
He went on to try to use the same math to prove that the existence of a black hole was not possible in real life.
And he failed.
Barber’s life lesson: “Push the limits, even if others doubt you” npr.org.
My take: Just because people (no matter how big or smart they are) don’t believe in you, doesn’t make you any less real. And no matter how impossible it may seem for people to see and understand you, there will always be someone out there trying to find what only YOU bring to the table.
As I mentioned before, black holes are known for mass destruction.
They’re symbols of death.
However, Natarajan, who studies supermassive black holes, claims she finds them beautiful.
“Why?” you may be asking.
Well, these supermassive black holes reside at the center of almost all galaxies in the universe.
According to Barber and Natarajan, astronomers believe that supermassive black holes have great influence over the rate at which stars are formed in their galaxies.
“Black holes aren’t just monsters; they are also creators,” says Barber, npr.org.
Barber’s life lesson: “Reputation isn’t everything” npr.org.
My take: Society doesn’t define what you do and don’t do.
Who you are and aren’t.
Everything is two-sided.
Like a coin.
There isn’t light without darkness.
There isn’t happy without sad.
There isn’t truth without false.
And, in the case of supermassive black holes, there isn’t destruction without creation.
Society tends to focus on one side of the coin.
Very few acknowledge the other side.
Black holes have existed for billions of years.
However, humans didn’t get to see an image of one until 2019, when astrophysicists were able to capture a photo of a black hole with an orange donut of gas and dust around it.
“That glowing donut — that’s as close as we can ever get to seeing a black hole,” says Natarajan, npr.org.
The iconic picture?
Here are a few more important quotes I pulled from npr.org:
“Even if black holes can’t be directly seen, they are still out there — whether they’re whipping a galaxy into shape or just doing their own thing,” Barber.
“Just because you are not seen, it doesn’t mean that you are not there or that you are not, you know, playing a very, very important role,” Natarajan.
“We are part of the cosmic ecosystem,” Natajaran says, “an integral part of the cosmic ecosystem.”
Now, that’s some pretty deep stuff.
This is all a reminder that even if you don’t feel understood, you’re still contributing to this universe.
And that’s a massive thing to be doing.
Barber’s life lesson: “Do your thing, whether people get you or not” npr.org.
My take on this: I think we should all be a little more like black holes.
We often seek validation whether it is from our parents, coaches, teachers, or society as a whole.
Black holes are just hanging out doing what they know.
People see them as destructors.
They’re a lot more than that.
But whether or not we understand or see them, they’re gonna keep doing their thing.
You should do the same.
You should also be a little more curious.
Had I not read that article, I would have continued to see black holes as the predators of the universe.
But I was open-minded enough to read that article and change my beliefs.
If you take the time to understand something/someone a little better, you might change your entire perception of it/them.
Maybe even on life.
My main takeaways:
- Continue doing what you’re doing, even if others don’t believe in you.
- Remember you’re just as real and valid as any other being, even if you don’t feel seen.
- There are two sides to everything. There isn’t a version of you that’s truly happy without a version of you that’s sad every once in a while.
- You don’t need ANYBODY to validate your existence and the complexity of your role in this universe.
- And remember to be open-minded. Don’t be hard on yourself or others. We’re all just doing what we can in this big universe we don’t even fully understand.
I’m now a big fan of black holes.
In fact, I’m gonna try to be a bit more like them.
Are you?
Thank you for reading :)
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