Get Wise Or Die Trying, Part 1
On Titles & Worthy Aims
What is the highest aim of a human life? Of this life?
If I had to distil it as succinctly as I possibly can, I would posit it as ‘skillfully navigating complexity’. It would seem that human beings’ distinctive feature presents as general problem solvers. Behold the utter helplessness of an infant, quite unique among the animal kingdom. The counterpoint of this helplessness is adaptibility to diverse cultural and environmental niches spanning the gamut from modern urban centers to subsistence living in biomes as varied as the tundra, desert or rainforest that traditional hunter-gatherer societies inhabit.
At bottom, all organisms must face and solve essentially two problems: survival and reproduction. Individually, this is and remains a perennial challenge, even for the most skilled and knowledgeable human beings. Reality shows like 'Alone' and 'Survivorman' aptly demonstrate this. Thusly, the importance of cooperative social development is highlighted across individual and cultural developments, from our biology to our sociology.
It seems across history, we invariably solve the survival problems as sophistications in our technological innovations have accrued—from tool usage, to harnessing fire, to animal husbandry, the industrial revolution, petrochemical exploitation, electrification and the digital age.
In modern developed societies of the current age, survival has largely been abstracted to economic pursuits. A typical narrative arc may proceed as follows: school, accumulating resources (money, fame, status, power typically through work--jobs or business), finding and retaining partners (somewhat optional depending on individual disposition), having kids and raising families, retirement.
There are of course other motivations and inclinations: exploration, adventure, creative endeavors, spiritual pursuits, community participation.
For those spiritually inclined, worldly paths to success seem unsatisfying. Indeed, many of those who have achieved such worldly success report as much.
After solving for survival with decades of life expectancy remaining, what is the most worthwhile project a human being could dedicate their precious remaining breaths and heartbeats?
Old age, sickness and death await us all.
Fame is fleeting and will eventually fade.
We cannot take any of our wealth with us.
We must leave behind all of our loved ones, or they, us. Each of us has a private journey to make that no one else can in birth and death.
Christ’s last words were quite literally “It is accomplished.”
Buddha attained liberation and went on to serve and teach tirelessly for decades.
Many spiritual masters and patriarchs across time have done so.
Whether it was Socrates, Lao Tzu, Zen masters like Zhaozhou, Hakuin or Bodhidarma, Christian mystics like Meister Eckhart, Teresa de Avila, Marguerite Porete and Saint Francis, Indian gurus like Ramana Maharshi or Krishnamurti, they did the thing.
What do they have in common?
They got wise.
Upon investigating the soteriological terminology across traditions (I wrote about this at length here) a theme emerges:
"To die before you die,"
Taoism's greatest sages are known as xian or "immortals"
In Buddhism, a synonym for nibbana is "attaining the deathless”
Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
Wisdom it seems, can overcome even death.
So, to you, I say:
Get wise or die trying.
Especially appreciated this post Tai. Life is about "‘skillfully navigating complexity" - I like that definition. Also loved the finish. "Get wise or die trying."