#63: Seize the Day!
Happy Friday!
The mountains have an awe-inspiring effect, reminding us of our speck-like existence, and leaving us no option but to surrender and seize life by the straps.
I've been reading a very excellent book by Roman Krznaric: Carpe Diem Regained. It's a practical study of the philosophy of carpe diem, first found in the poetry of another Roman, Horace, and usually translated as seize the day.
The second chapter, Dancing with Death, particularly grabbed my attention - as mortality is wont to do. Roman takes us on a tour of philosophical techniques, both ancient and modern, that surprise us with an awareness of our own mortality, and in so doing promise more vibrant living.
He calls them “death tasters” and I've summarised all 15 in full on my blog, but here's my favourite - consider it a death taster amuse bouche:
15. Imagine yourself at a dinner party in the afterlife. This thought experiment is inspired by neuroscientist David Eagleman and Roman’s set up is worth quoting almost in full:
Imagine yourself at a dinner party in the afterlife. Also present are all the other ‘yous’ who you could have been if you had made different choices. … You look around at these alternative selves. … [W]hich of them are you curious to meet and talk to? Which would you rather avoid? Which do you envy? And are there any of these many yous whom you would rather be – or become?
This little game has particular power because these other people are imaginable versions of you: by definition you could be or become these people. It’s not like you’re looking over at JK Rowling or Charles Darwin or Silvio Berlusconi and enviously wishing you could be them.
No – you’re envious of your own imaginable self. So all you have to do now is imagine what “they” did to become that person, and therefore what you need to do to become more like… yourself.
For this thought experiment, it helps if you believe in the multiverse, where the infinite possibilities of existence are played out in full in infinite 'universes', and where infinite yous play out your infinite lives. (Yes, including the one where you are a catfish.)
Mind you, it might not be long before 'believing' in the multiverse is as irrelevant as 'believing' in gravity: as this Youtube video puts it, Another Universe May Have Bumped Into Ours and We Might Have Proof.
I'm not sure what the multiverse means for carpe diem, but to quote Hollywood's favourite 17th century poet, Robert Herrick:
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
To-morrow will be dying.
Time spent in nature reminds me of my mortality and that I should spend my time wisely - perhaps doing my 5 things.
I'll give the final word to an even older sage, Seneca:
[T]he life we receive is not short, but we make it so,
nor do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it.
>> INPUT
Five things that have inspired me this week. What kept you going?
WEIRDLY HYPNOTIC FILM: Tango by Zbigniew Rybczyński (1980) on YouTube
COMEDY: Andy Zaltzman writes his reviews of 2017 and 2018 on the Guardian and iNews.
FOLK MUSIC: Bright Phoebus by Lal & Mike Waterson. Thanks Lewis!
SCIENCE FUNNIES: Robin Ince at TEDx in Dublin on super massive black holes and Brian Blessed.
INTERGENERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING: The New Dating Requirement: Consuming All of Your Partner’s #Content on the Daily Beast.
OUTPUT >>
As you may have noticed, this mailing list is the engine room of my writing. Here's some you might have missed:
Carpe Diem: Dancing with Death (February)
No Phone (Before Noon) (February)
Bothy Bothering (February)
Unfinished Animals: A Novel (January)
Your 5 Things (January)
...COMING UP...
A week in Wales (hopefully) with Beth working on the second series of Foiled. YES.
Preparing the English texts for the legendary Elevate Festival in Graz, Austria. YES.
Polishing up 3000 words for the climax of the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course: an evening of drinking with real live agents. YES.
Also: tickets for Jokes and Spokes, the annual Bike Project fundraiser are now on sale. With Sara Pascoe, Andy Zaltzman, Robin Ince and Phil Wang. June 12th in London. Funny guaranteed.
Now: seize the evening!
- dc
p.s. You know there's always a pretty picture if you scroll to very, very end, don't you?
SALESY BLAH
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www.davidcharles.info
@dcisbusy
Evidence of advanced Mayan civilization found hidden in Guatemalan jungle.
Via Kottke.org.