Less Is More
I am feeling feverish this morning with a lingering cold. Snow continues to fall and the roads are a skating rink. I take satisfaction in knowing that Nature overwhelms the best of our engineering, the artificial habitat that we call civilization. Is that “schadenfreude” the pleasure felt at the misfortune of others? Yes, but I recognize that I am included in the fate that befalls others. Our ancestors never forgot that they were small and weak compared with the power of Nature. We go to great lengths to forget.
I offer for your appraisal some quotations from Heraclitus. He is one of the founding fathers of Greek philosophy. He was a native of the city of Ephesus, lived from 535 BCE and died 475 BCE, at 60 years old. He was self taught and was called “the obscure.” We have only a few fragments of his teaching.
This world, the same for all,
neither any of the gods nor any man has made,
but it always was, and is, and shall be,
an ever living fire,
kindled in due measure,
and in due measure extinguished.
The name of the bow is life,
but its work is death. (bios)
For men to have whatever they wish,
would not be well.
Sickness makes health,
pleasant and good;
hunger, satiety;
weariness, rest.
It is hard to contend against passion,
for whatever it craves,
it buys with its life.
–Heraclitus of Ephesus
