What are you doing? Nothing.
“To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.” — Milan Kundera
I’ve talked about dualities with different flavors in the past. I’ve presented it as a doer and a receiver dichotomy. I’ve used words like masculine & feminine, action & emotion, rationale & sentiment, leader & follower. But it really is not a story of two individual perception. They are both the same.
Boredom is the word that can signify what I have been working on.
It all started with the question how do I become productive? How do I maximize my return? What should I do to make sure I make the most of my life? What? How?
Manoj: Why? Why do you want to be productive? Why do you want to maximize my returns?
Morgan: what do you mean why? Everyone is doing it? Everyone is trying to make the most of life. Everyone is trying their best to make the most of it.
Manoj: Ok, so why do you think they are doing it?
Morgan: Because everyone is doing it.
Manoj: Exactly. Everyone is doing it. I am not saying it is wrong to pursue your goals. As a matter of fact, I have big goals, I have big dreams. Mammoth size expectations of life. Fine wealth and services I want to experience.
Morgan: So how is it any different from my perception of pursuit? What are you trying to say?
Manoj: You get into this mode of always pursuing. You are always in this mode of an active mind that you fail to consider the macro view of a finite time.
Morgan: So what do you want me to do? Relax?
Manoj: Yes.
Morgan: Yeah, I relax. I watch NetFlix to chill out and refresh my mind.
Manoj: That’s not what I meant.
Morgan: What do you mean?
Manoj: This act of searching for a new series and watching the story unfold is an act of pursuit. You are still in the mode of constant grinding. You never relaxed.
Morgan: Ok, I see what you mean. You mean I am always in constant pursuit. Be it working or trying to relax. I am always pursuing something.
Manoj: Correct.
Morgan: Then what should I do?
Manoj: Nothing.
Morgan: What do you mean by nothing?
Manoj: Just Nothing.
Mogan: So how do you do this Nothing.
Manoj: I do ballroom dance, write, animate, build a website, practice Spanish and ride my motorcycle.
Morgan: But you just said to do nothing, and you are doing a lot of things.
Manoj: I am doing nothing. There is no desire to be better, there is no pursuit of a win. There is no goal. There is no failure. And there is no success.
Morgan: I am confused. In one part you say that I am always doing something. In another part, you say that I do nothing. But to do nothing you are doing a lot of things. What’s that about?
Manoj: ok. I think words like meditation, prayers, and spirituality works with you. You see we have a connotation of materialism vs spiritualism.
We think that materialism is this realm of reality and spirituality is a hocus pocus that connects us to the galaxy. We think that this is material and this is spiritual. It is just like a debate between capitalism and socialism, democrat and republican, liberal and conservative.
Morgan: So what is it then?
Manoj: Morgan, understand that I am not any different from you as a pursuer. But you and I have different biology, which affects our psychology, which affects our preferences, and that influences our actions and behaviors.
Morgan: I get that.
Manoj: Therefore any experience has to go through many layers of interpretation and outside influences. You and I are both working this way. I am in no manner or form superior to you. Nor you in no manner or form are inferior to me. But because I understand the tools I have. I am better equipped to use them giving me leverage. That is all the difference between you and me.
Morgan: So what should I do then?
Manoj: Relax. Do nothing.
