Think Bits No.1

We humans are creatures of habit; driving the same way to work everyday, say. Because we do so many things repetitiously, without thinking about them (mostly), we need contrast, opposites and paradoxes. They act as wake-up calls, as mirrors, if we will to, or have to look into one. 'I'm stressed out by my daily life, look at me all worn out, I want to disappear to a quiet, sunny beach' for example. As we consider ourselves stuck on one end of a constrasting continuum, we strive for the other. 

We say we are looking for a balance, but in fact we're rollercoasterriding from one opposite to the other, leisurely, imperceptibly or rapidly, hectically. Sometimes, along the way, we may strike what seems like a balance. But as in physics, this would be but a fleeting moment, the memory of it more significant than its experience. Cellular particles don't need to be in balance to grow a tree or cook a meal - in fact, they're in motion! As are we, moving on to pursue our habits, temporarily or permanently shaken up by our desire or fear of contrasting opposites.

Our lives are indeed paradoxical. 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose' and 'Nothing is so constant in life as change', all in one. Contrasts and opposites help us struggle with our habits, which win the battle, mostly. 

These thoughts came to mind while listening to a radio feature this morning, entitled "Live in the Here and Now", which included a guitary song about people being very busy about their leisure time (going crazy with sports etc.) whilst the singer preferred to lie down on a lawn and watch the insects on the grass.