Chains and Foundations

Two dominant forces in anyone's life: chains and foundations.

Chains bind us, holding us back from success by limiting our upward climb. These can be addictions, phobias, inaccurate preconceived notions. They are the barriers to progress and growth that hold us back from fully utilizing our strengths.

Foundations support us, allowing us to stand with sure feet. Good physical care, diet, learning are all things that support a person and allow them to operate at peak efficiency. The emotional support of loved ones is another major foundation.

Tragedy is when someone believes they are breaking the former, but they are in fact smashing the latter. There are many people who believe that the regularity and routine that comes from fostering a good foundation - for example, getting a good night's rest - is in fact something to discard. They become so caught up in discarding every pattern that they fail to judge between them. That lack of judgment, the decision to avoid making decisions and instead generalize, is a key component to self-destructive behavior.

I have found this sort of tragedy common among hedonists. People who advocate that the goal of life is to "feel good" or who seek pleasure at the expense of all else seem more likely than others to view the short-term sacrifice of maintaining the mind and body as undesirable and therefore reject it in favor of immediate gains in comfort.

The consequence is that their long term prospects are diminished, because they lack the foundation to rise higher than their current position. So, in response, they indulge even further, coming to believe that growth is an illusion and pleasure is all that matters. It's a very bleak existence.