Onism — Wanderlust
Onism
It is human nature to wander and ask questions. There is a desire in us to explore all corners of the world. Have you ever considered how small you are, and how little of the world you will see in your lifetime? Even people who are not restricted by money or time and can travel still get the feeling of not having fully explored the world. Onism, the word that expresses that feeling so well, is the awareness of how little of the world you will experience. It is an expression formed by youtuber John Koenig, author of “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” to help us understand our limitations as human beings.
Human beings are weak but curious creatures always asking ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions and pursuing the answers. We ask these questions to understand the world we live in. It is the reason for discoveries and advancements in science, medicine, technology and so many other subjects. “Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge.” quoted from Stephen Hawking. After we understand the world around us, we are able to start understanding ourselves.
One of the main questions to be asked is why do we waste time? Why do we not use this time efficiently? Humans tend to possess the urge of keeping themselves busy at every moment of time. For instance, when students who are supposed to do their homework procrastinate, they mostly spend their time by going out with friends or scrolling through social media rather than doing nothing. However, people’s perspectives are changing. They view education and constant working not the pathway to a successful life. They view it as a waste of time that prevents them from experiencing learning in different ways. This brings us back to the main point of onism. I believe we are too preoccupied with what we are supposed to do, that no matter how much we want to experience the world we will never be able to fully achieve that.
We are all told from a young age that we should do something useful in our life. We have to constantly keep ourselves busy with helpful activities that include studying, extracurricular and cultural activities in order to be successful in life. “Wandering off ” is forbidden; it does not benefit us in any way other than wasting time. However, we all sometimes wander off in our minds while watching a movie, reading a book or scrolling through social media. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a step back and escape from your body to see yourself from someone else’s point of view? We get immersed in a different world imagining multiple lives of ourselves at the same time. Some believe these wandering thoughts of there being so much out in the world and we may never know about it is what makes us excited to live and dream.
