Tag: life

It’s all about options

A long time ago (over a decade ago) a friend of mine told me, “It’s all about options.”

Optionality (real word or buzz word?) has its attractions. It means you can always stop what you are doing and try something else. You always have an exit and nothing is permanent. It’s exciting.

But then you never really commit, do you? Do you ever really become an expert at anything? Can you spend 10,000 hours on anything (I am aware that the Gladwell 10,000 hour rule might be bullshit, but it’s a useful placeholder for the idea of expertise) while maintaining your options? That maintenance is costly in terms of time and resources.

Options are, in the end, things you don’t do.

This is probably just a reminder for myself.

 

The No-Post

I had grand plans for a rollicking history post on Roger II of Sicily but that will have to wait.

Instead, Caren and I went out for dinner, then we walked the dog and finished up our taxes for the year.

Now to continue read the late Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum. I last read it probably two decades ago and it’s just as engaging now.

Relax.

Not enough (words for) love

I’m reading Robert Nozick’s The Examined Life. It’s full of good, mind-tingling things, and last night I read his chapter on love. He doesn’t mention this specifically but it reminded me that the Greek’s (yes, back to that language) have 4 words for love, where English has one.

agape

eros

philia

storge

They are pretty distinct and world certainly simplify English, leaving behind a lot of mucking about with adjectives. But at the same time, we would lose out on some great comedy of misunderstanding.

I’m really focused on Greek lately, aren’t I? This despite the fact that I have never attempted any education (self or otherwise) in Greek. I taught myself and took college level courses in Latin for years. And yet I return to Greek for in interesting tidbits more often.

No lesson today. Just bits of info. I assume people aren’t generally aware of this, but perhaps I am wrong?