The Game of Life
I’m a big believer in moderation. Everything in life has a balance-- nothing is ever good in either extremes for an extended period of time. Even life’s necessities such as water and oxygen will kill you when you're overexposed to it. The game of life is about when and where you go extreme (hopefully minimal) and when you stay in the moderate equilibrium.
In addition to moderation, I’m a big believer of the concept of impermanence – nothing in life no matter how great or small lasts forever. To me, this is an infallible truth. As humans existing within the constraints of time moving in a linear direction, there is always a start and end point. What happens with living in the extremes (over-working, over-consuming, etc.) is that you become attached to their byproducts. Over-working attaches you to money, social status, etc. Over-consuming attaches you to drugs, sex, etc. I’m not saying either is necessarily bad in moderation, it’s just not sustainable. Money will come and go, as will sex and other pleasurable vices.
Live in the present and be mindful of everything in life. Whether you wish to believe it or not, we as humans are interconnected as a species. A simple act of tipping a deliveryman can help him buy his wife a gift... which could get him lucky and have a kid that may one day become the doctor who treats your diseases in old age. The possibilities are endless and everyday actions can have a larger impact than any of us can begin to imagine.
Do good because you believe it will benefit mankind, not because you want to feel better about yourself or because you want to generate returns.
The purpose of life is to progress mankind as a species. At the end of the day we all die as homo sapiens. The journey of life, much like the board game, has multiple paths and we all choose different paths to take with varying levels of personal happiness, wealth, and experiences. However, at the end of your existence, are you able to say that you’ve given the next (wo)man tools to further progress our species? This can be as simple as cleaning up a local lake or as grand as inventing electricity. Can future generations utilize your accomplishments to afford a higher quality of life? If not, then I do not believe you have truly lived life.
It sounds grim, but in a sense it is the ultimate utilitarian game of maximizing human efficiency. To me, knowing that I can positively impact just one other person’s life is reason enough for me to believe I am leading a good life. If I were to die tomorrow, I would have no regrets as I know at this present time that I have done more good for humanity than bad. You may object saying, “but if I were to live 30 more years, imagine the good that can be done!”. This logic is flawed as it fails to realize the impact that the memory of a person has on/affecting people.
There are many great people who have died young such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Freddie Mercury, Anne Frank, etc. Were these all people of great power? Some yes, some no. However, what mattered was whether they knew it or not at the time, their stories would continue to impact history and inspire millions for centuries to come. Martyrdom, willing or not, can be more powerful than any living person.
It is this higher level of wisdom and foresight that I am envious of in great people. Indeed, the ability to ascend to this level of understanding and objective selflessness is truly a First Rate Madness.
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