Not Terribly Important

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.”

― Bertrand Russell

Just like that, I stumbled upon this quote one morning, and it felt so liberating to read it. Was I taking my work too seriously? – probably, yes. Was I doing it consciously, though? – probably, not. If this quote resonates with you, do let me know if you feel liberated after reading it, too, as it would mean we might have more things in common.

If I am not wrong, the question on your mind is: “How can one put out one’s best knowing full well that one’s work is not terribly important?” 

It takes a little self-awareness and putting our work in perspective in the bigger scheme of things, but no, no one’s work is Oppenheimer-important. (And we all know where Oppenheimer went with his terribly important work.) The bigger scheme is as big as the universe and never fails to remind us that we are mere specks – bumbling monkeys if you will – inhabiting the blue planet. Not only is this bigger scheme of things a reality, but it instantly shifts perspective when we lose ourselves in the petty nitty-gritty stuff that life is often made up of. Not all of us were made to save or destroy the world, so let’s not split our life’s hairs to a point where a breakdown becomes inevitable. 

I am an earth ecstatic, so I see life through William Blake’s poetry:  ‘To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.’ But believe me, I have cultivated this personality after passing through the dark dungeons of the “terribly important” cave. I was, in fact, quite fortunate to have my sensibilities be shaped by poetry like this eventually. Now, you may or may not be poetic in your insight, but chances are you are living too much inside your head, and you need to appreciate the sheer wonder that is life more. A lot more. Universe-sized more. It is even possible that the sheer magnitude of life that lay beyond the obvious may turn you into a poet.

I often come across visionary personalities who sound delusional. I don’t know – does it make the possibilities ahead of them more interesting? Does it create an “abundance mindset” as popular culture suggests? Does it make them sound “terribly important”? Capitalistic greed knows no bounds, and I understand how enticing the mantra of more is, even if it sometimes leads the same visionaries down an amoral slippery slope. I am not trying to moral-police here, but I suspect that their approach towards their work is one of those “terribly important” things. There’s room for everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed, as the Mahatma once said. 

Now, I wouldn’t know the view; I am not a visionary; but I do believe that I know something about human nature. So, temper your vision with the galactic views that life offers for free. Make the most of the incredibly collaborative times we are living in. Competition gets you only so far; it is the spirit of collaboration that creates interesting possibilities, so tune your abundance mindset towards this approach to work. Think more often in win-win scenarios rather than win-lose scenarios. 

Be it business, sports, politics, or the arts, we have turned every human endeavour into a bastion of self-importance and one-upmanship. Power constructs are inevitable in institutional settings, I understand that. But if the world has not imploded yet, it is because of the selfless deeds of people who bring their nuance of morality to life. If you don’t believe me, try doing something sweet for someone without any expectations, and see how a good feeling washes over you. Rich culture and generous upbringing often create good samaritans, and God knows we need more of them on this planet now. As some wise person once said, if you want to change the world, go and love your family.

The trouble with most people is that they grow jaded as they grow older. Their inner child develops a grumpy demeanor as they witness the hopelessnesses of this world. It is as if they are carrying on life because they have to; not because they are blessed with wonderful possibilities that come disguised as the drudgery of work and the petty squabbles of family life, for a start. Their worldview needs to be tempered by reading the works of thinkers like Carl Sagan, who spoke thus:

“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

To me, his words are the ultimate manifesto for leading a good life. Somehow, turning the angle of the lens to grace the pale blue dot from the universe, seems to be the solace humanity needs to offload the weight of life. Some may turn to the heavens through the maze of spirituality, that noble instinct that makes us believe in a higher power, and I imagine, they lead more balanced lives, as a result. The burden of life is too heavy for any one individual to bear; we need the entire humanity to come together (as improbable as that sounds) to help us not just get through, but to experience the inherent magnificence of life.