Brain Food #558
Self-knowledge
Thoughts of the day
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only constant in life is change.”
It is easy to focus on the change that happens in our surroundings, but our identity is also always shifting, and so do our interests. Even our music taste, according to research, changes as we make our way through life, until we reach a stage - usually in our mid-30s - when new music does not excite us anymore, and instead we go back to old favourites. This is not to say that our interest in music declines, but perhaps, as we face the increasing complexities of life, it is reassuring to return to a familiar set of notes, or a familiar voice.
Learning to live with change is not only about being prepared for the changes that are beyond our control - that goes without saying. But to be able to do that, we must first be familiar with whoever is within. And that is a lot harder than we are made to believe. We must often devote time to literary look through the looking glass, and see what lies beyond it.
“I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
— Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
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