Ever since I started thinking my own thoughts, I have always done a lot of pondering. I used to be the (too?) small, introverted boy. Today, I am the (too?) old, extroverted gentleman. But I still do as much thinking as ever. About this and that. And perhaps too much.
As each year of my life goes by, I also think more and more about how to use my time “meaningfully”. How I can make “successful” use of it. And what exactly it is I want from life.
With time, the ideas change. As do the priorities. And the formulations. Currently, the following things are important in my life. Or rather: currently, I would formulate what is most important for me as follows.
Knowledge
Knowledge is the basis for everything. I understand the term in the sense of enlightenment. You want to question things. You want to be critical. You want to break taboos. You want to prove dogmatism wrong. You want to see that what you know is in harmony with what you experienced yourself. You want to add to your own experience.
Courage
You have to apply your knowledge with courage. In former times, I liked calling it civil courage and/or constructive disobedience. Today, I prefer the word courage. It is a rather clear term.
Delight
In order to apply knowledge courageously, you need to delight in it. You will find pleasure if you meet others at eye-level and treat them fairly. If we take ourselves and others seriously and are taken seriously by others.
Honour and Respect
Only if we honour and accept other people can we respect them. Then we will also be respected by them. Respect, however, is not limited to humans. It should include the entire creation, or whatever this is where I live.
If I manage to become a little more knowledgeable all the time (both about myself and others) and then, based on this, to act courageously and thus experience as many happy hours as possible in delight; if, along with this, I honour my fellow humans and preserve respect of the world in all my behaviour, then I could imagine calling myself “successful” and “living life meaningfully”.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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