"DEATH BE DAMNED" Charles Bukowski's quote in this inspirational essay caught my attention. He meant that he wasn't trying to achieve a sense of immortality through his writings, which would survive him. I don't believe him. At what stage in his life did he write that quote? I have a different perspective, as I am being ravaged by cancer. This quote brings to mind Rachel Carson's struggle to write another book, while enduring pain from metastatic breast cancer. She had something to share with the world. Her writings were her legacy. I had not been favorably impressed with Bukowski before, as he was known for being a sexist alcoholic. Ironically, his epitaph is "Don't try." Hmm. He said that was his theory of life and his manner of writing: "I don't try, I just type." That his epitaph requires explanation is proof that he expected his writings to be known after his death. Scientists find that pesticides are endocrine disrupters, which may cause breast cancer. Carson, a marine biologist, undertook "Silent Spring" (1962) because pesticides were poisoning the ocean. Pesticide poisoning may also have taken her life. ("The Right Way to Remember Rachel Carson," Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 3-19-18.)
The message, quotes and evidence based example ( kudos for your personal one), and generally, the value of actions versus inaction is well known and worth being always aware of it.
The perplexing part for the rest is the fact that, some if not most of us did some very actionable things. More or less enthusiastically and more or less emboldened by an existential crisis or competitive desire (I am excluding the sociopathic tendencies of power, that have some extra characteristics for "success" or "fulfillment" drivers - some that are actual requirements in a more and more shareholder gains as immediate indicators of "actions speak more than words" oriented society .
There's a remarkable absent actionable broad formula that works consistently.
If things were done , by someone, that check the actions and even some over delivered ones, it is very volatile outcome, depending on , I would speculate, geolocation ( that will shape the social and economic dynamic opportunities) .
Sartre access to remarkable education (with all the bullying that comes with proportional with the institutional fame) coupled with his ability to maintain a high profile interesting relationship with Simone de Beauvoir, Bukowski's LA move (one can imagine his impact on american literature if he stayed in Gdansk to stick with his Polish ancestry).
The sponsor choice of a French sounding inspiration-aspirational name if the founder would be in, again, the geolocation and the prominent school signalling pedigree.
All those do not guarantee, obviously anything, but facilitate acceptance to the vast majority of people that don't really understand what the reality of having some graduate titles from an ivy league means, beyond the PR).
So , actions all for it.
Now, for the real life changing question, that would throw some light and allow the "action" to encounter minimal "reaction " ( from intrinsic personal or extrinsic pushback).
How to do a blueprint or at least a sketch, of a flexible actionable plan?
That is, in the reality of the statistical distribution of many different realities and variables, make an actionable plan, with , hypothetically and mostly accurately reflecting the real life, are pushing back ? ( think student loans, children education coats, the mental soothing pet companion, stressed partner, local climate ( too ..... fill in the complaints) , civic disintegration, general disinterest, and , most aggravating, the ascending callous lack of empathy everywhere. When everything is designed to be central to a person or group = "brand". Politicians, media, content or discontent creators, ( that's debatably more lucrative than educationally ones - thank you for that), corporate or otherwise.
Luck is the bonus part, and may eventually involve grit, so it's not quantifiable or to be included in an action plan. ( but that's no guarantee, grittier it gets, more epidermis gets lost and open wounds can become more difficult and severe to manage concomitantly)
"DEATH BE DAMNED" Charles Bukowski's quote in this inspirational essay caught my attention. He meant that he wasn't trying to achieve a sense of immortality through his writings, which would survive him. I don't believe him. At what stage in his life did he write that quote? I have a different perspective, as I am being ravaged by cancer. This quote brings to mind Rachel Carson's struggle to write another book, while enduring pain from metastatic breast cancer. She had something to share with the world. Her writings were her legacy. I had not been favorably impressed with Bukowski before, as he was known for being a sexist alcoholic. Ironically, his epitaph is "Don't try." Hmm. He said that was his theory of life and his manner of writing: "I don't try, I just type." That his epitaph requires explanation is proof that he expected his writings to be known after his death. Scientists find that pesticides are endocrine disrupters, which may cause breast cancer. Carson, a marine biologist, undertook "Silent Spring" (1962) because pesticides were poisoning the ocean. Pesticide poisoning may also have taken her life. ("The Right Way to Remember Rachel Carson," Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 3-19-18.)
The message, quotes and evidence based example ( kudos for your personal one), and generally, the value of actions versus inaction is well known and worth being always aware of it.
The perplexing part for the rest is the fact that, some if not most of us did some very actionable things. More or less enthusiastically and more or less emboldened by an existential crisis or competitive desire (I am excluding the sociopathic tendencies of power, that have some extra characteristics for "success" or "fulfillment" drivers - some that are actual requirements in a more and more shareholder gains as immediate indicators of "actions speak more than words" oriented society .
There's a remarkable absent actionable broad formula that works consistently.
If things were done , by someone, that check the actions and even some over delivered ones, it is very volatile outcome, depending on , I would speculate, geolocation ( that will shape the social and economic dynamic opportunities) .
Sartre access to remarkable education (with all the bullying that comes with proportional with the institutional fame) coupled with his ability to maintain a high profile interesting relationship with Simone de Beauvoir, Bukowski's LA move (one can imagine his impact on american literature if he stayed in Gdansk to stick with his Polish ancestry).
The sponsor choice of a French sounding inspiration-aspirational name if the founder would be in, again, the geolocation and the prominent school signalling pedigree.
All those do not guarantee, obviously anything, but facilitate acceptance to the vast majority of people that don't really understand what the reality of having some graduate titles from an ivy league means, beyond the PR).
So , actions all for it.
Now, for the real life changing question, that would throw some light and allow the "action" to encounter minimal "reaction " ( from intrinsic personal or extrinsic pushback).
How to do a blueprint or at least a sketch, of a flexible actionable plan?
That is, in the reality of the statistical distribution of many different realities and variables, make an actionable plan, with , hypothetically and mostly accurately reflecting the real life, are pushing back ? ( think student loans, children education coats, the mental soothing pet companion, stressed partner, local climate ( too ..... fill in the complaints) , civic disintegration, general disinterest, and , most aggravating, the ascending callous lack of empathy everywhere. When everything is designed to be central to a person or group = "brand". Politicians, media, content or discontent creators, ( that's debatably more lucrative than educationally ones - thank you for that), corporate or otherwise.
Luck is the bonus part, and may eventually involve grit, so it's not quantifiable or to be included in an action plan. ( but that's no guarantee, grittier it gets, more epidermis gets lost and open wounds can become more difficult and severe to manage concomitantly)