Time warps strangely,
like distorted reflections
in a hall of mirrors.
A month slips by in a blink,
gone before it’s lived.
Yet years in the past
feel as though,
between then and now,
I have lived an eternity,
wandering through
the folds of time.
It is the push against the boundaries that is the essence of what it means to be human.
Summary: The parallels between gravity and mortality are striking. Both are ever present in our lives and are forces that cannot be escaped or ignored. They are universal, affecting all matter and all living beings, regardless of circumstance. Both are also attractive in nature, drawing toward a center — gravity toward the center of mass, mortality toward death.
Gravity and mortality! Who would have thought that they are brothers in arms.
Gravity and mortality are forces that shape our existence, each in their own profound way. While gravity governs the motion of planets and the fall of a stone, mortality effects the trajectory of human life. Both are ever-present forces that exert an incessant pull. Exploring their similarities just happens to be a fun exercise, and so, here we are.
Gravity
Gravity is an attractive force that acts between two masses. It is fundamental to the structure and order of the cosmos. Without gravity, the stars would not form, planets would not orbit, and life as we know it would not exist.
Gravity is the reason we remain bound to Earth’s surface, preventing us from drifting into the void of space. When a stone is thrown into the air, gravity slows its ascent, brings it to a halt at its highest point- the vertex, and then accelerates its descent back to the ground. The elegant parabola the stone traces embodies gravity’s pull.
Among the fundamental forces of nature, gravity is unique. It is always attractive, never repulsive, drawing masses together rather than pushing them apart like electric charges of same sign do. This universality gives gravity a special role in shaping the universe on a cosmic scale. From the clustering of galaxies to the tides of Earth’s oceans, gravity is a silent hand, always at work.
Mortality
Mortality is a constant presence that shapes the arc of human life. Its influence begins with birth.
At this starting point of our life, we are helpless and are entirely dependent on the care and goodwill of others. The horizon of our choices is very limited. Chew on a toy, claw on the leg of a chair.
The nurturing instincts that natural selection has embedded in us ensure that the fragile beginnings of life are protected and allowed to flourish. As we grow, our capabilities and choices expand. As we enter youth, life’s possibilities seem boundless.
However, just as a stone thrown into the air starts to slow down and reaches a vertex before descending, so too does life’s horizon of possibilities start to shrink as we grow older. Under the influence of mortality, with aging the horizon of our possibilities starts to narrow. The physical and mental vigor that once characterized youth begins to wane.
Life, in its later stages, becomes a process of consolidation and reflection, a return to simplicity of its beginning akin to the stone’s descent to the ground.
Parallels between Gravity and Mortality
The parallels between gravity and mortality are striking. Both are ever present in our lives and are forces that cannot be escaped or ignored. They are universal, affecting all matter and all living beings, regardless of circumstance. Both are also attractive in nature, drawing toward a center — gravity toward the center of mass, mortality toward death.
Gravity and mortality also evoke philosophical questions about existence.
Gravity binds us to the Earth, providing stability and a sense of place in the universe. Yet it also reminds us of our limitations, as we are unable to escape its pull without extraordinary effort.
Similarly, mortality gives life structure and urgency. The awareness of life’s finite nature compels us to seek meaning, to create, and to cherish the moments we have, qualities that also require extraordinary effort.
Both forces also inspire efforts to transcend their limits.
Humanity’s desire to overcome gravity has led to remarkable achievements in science and engineering, from the first flight to the exploration of outer space. Similarly, the desire to transcend mortality has driven advancements in religion, philosophy, medicine, the search for longevity, and the pursuit of legacies through art, knowledge, and culture.
These efforts reflect a fundamental aspect of human nature: the drive to push beyond the boundaries imposed by the forces that surround us. It is the push against the boundaries that is the essence of what it means to be human: to rise, to reach above, aspire to experience the limits of our potential, and ultimately, to return to our beginnings.
Gravity and Mortality are brothers in arms.
Ciao, and thanks for reading.
Antonyms are found because life gives so many opposite options. A life well lived, selects a path that weaves in between antonyms.
Summary: The concept of balance, often referred to as following the middle path, is regarded as timeless wisdom. It is said that to achieve happiness and contentment, one should embrace the middle path. But where did this idea originate? The notion of balance may trace its roots to the earliest stages of life, with the emergence of self-replicating molecules. Over time, the principle of “survival of the fittest” evolved into the understanding that thriving requires an optimal fit with the environment — a realization that now aligns with the wisdom of the middle path.
The boundary conditions
The Earth was immersed in an ambient environment with specific characteristics, fueled by energy from the Sun. Within this setting, a “chemical soup” existed where countless chemical reactions were constantly occurring and being tested.
There was no design or designer guiding these chemical reactions or the emergence of complexity. Instead, progress was driven by trial and error, naturally favoring characteristics that proved advantageous in harnessing the available energy.
The beginning
Certain chemical reactions within the soup led to the formation of self-replicating molecules that efficiently utilized available resources. These molecules gradually developed greater complexity and organization.
This marked the onset of a competitive “arms race” for consuming the energy present in the environment. The self-replicating chemistry that thrived under ambient conditions laid the foundation for the concept of survival of the fittest.
Among these, the chemistries that excelled in energy utilization and replication gained a significant advantage, allowing them to proliferate.
From these pioneering self-replicating chemistries emerged the first cells, which developed intricate chemical processes to harness energy and eventually enclosed themselves within protective membranes.
At the cellular level, there was no inherent design or deliberate path to follow. Instead, under the prevailing environmental conditions, the chemical reactions most efficient at acquiring resources naturally thrived and proliferated.
Had consciousness existed at that time, these successful chemical pathways — supporting self-replicating molecules — might have been labeled as having the “mojo” or the “right balance.” But, of course, in that primordial era, there was no one to make such observations.
The concept of following a path of balance, therefore, originates from the context of chemical reactions occurring within an environment that gave rise to self-replicating molecules.
Similarly, a unique, but a different, concept of balance, shaped by environmental conditions, can be seen in the chemistry that evolved near hydrothermal vents or in the depths of the ocean — each adapting to its surroundings with its own distinct equilibrium.
The middle
Earth’s ambient conditions remained relatively stable, allowing successful cellular life forms to continue relying on the same chemical reactions and maintaining their established notion of balance.
Over time, increasingly advanced organisms evolved, all adhering to this enduring principle of balance that was first established.
However, if ambient conditions had changed, the original balance might no longer have been advantageous, prompting the evolution of a new equilibrium. Just as balance was achieved once before, chemical reactions would have inevitably adapted to establish another suitable harmony.
The arrival of humans
Evolution, driven by the principle of survival of the fittest, continued, and humans eventually emerged.
Along this evolutionary journey, the capacity for consciousness also developed.
Consciousness — The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings; a person’s awareness or perception of something; the fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world (source Oxford Living Dictionary) — began to identify and name the elements that permeated the environment.
Consciousness also introduced a psychological dimension, presenting options such as attachment and detachment, independence and interconnectedness, between which choices had to be made. The right choices were those that improved the chances of survival and typically aligned with the middle path.
Religions emerged, each recognizing and emphasizing the virtue of following this middle path.
Conclusion
Thus, there is no inherent requirement for a first principle dictating that balance or the middle path must be followed.
From the human perspective, however, and without awareness of the underlying processes of evolution, the pervasiveness of balance often feels like the result of some fundamental principle.
Ciao, and thanks for reading.