Tag: alternatives

The Choices We Can’t See

“So, why didn’t you do it like this?” She asked.

“Because it never occurred to me,” I replied.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had a similar conversation, both as the inquisitor and as the embarrassed person who failed to find the obvious solution. It makes you wonder how many choices are out there that you just never see.

That’s why I always find it so helpful to discuss issues with third parties. Inevitably, they bring a unique perspective to the table. Not that I always take their advice, but it is always good to have alternatives.

It’s almost as if the fifth dimension (rather than being a band that sings about the Age of Aquarius), is a land of invisible options. It’s a place that we sense, but can’t seem to access, try as hard as we might.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” I ask, while pressing my nose against the window of that quirky dimension.

I suppose that if we always got things right, there would be no challenges in this world. There would be no room for improvement, and nothing to strive for. It would certainly squelch all creativity and innovation. What would be the point?

I like the concept that there are choices out there that we don’t see. I like unlimited possibilities. I only hope that we figure things out at the most critical junctures, because much hangs in the balance. But it kind of makes me wonder if it’s ever possible to get something completely “right”.

L0027293 The gyri of the thinker's brain as a maze of choices in biom

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Let Your Freak Flag Fly!

I like to wear crazy, colorful socks. That way if I find that I’m taking myself too seriously, I can always look down at my feet and regain a sense of emotional balance.

I have always been drawn to people who are different. Whether it’s pink hair, or strange clothes, or simply thinking outside the box, I always have admired the weirdos, the three-legged dogs.

People who spend their whole lives floating comfortably down the main stream have no idea how much energy it takes to swim against the current. There’s a lot of pressure to comply with the majority. Much better to close your eyes, keep your head down, and go with the flow, rather than make waves.

We learn this in school. Stand out too much and you’ll be laughed at, ridiculed and stuffed into the nearest locker. It’s much better to be a cheerleader or a football player, so you are never in doubt as to your uniform, or your role in the grand hierarchy. Conform, conform, conform!

But without the occasional oddball, what a boring place this world would be! There would be no color, no variety, no art, no creativity, no invention, no debate.

The eccentrics of this world mean you no harm. They simply show you that there are alternatives, potential, and possibilities. So thank your local free spirit for providing a useful service in this world. Let him or her bask in the rare waters of appreciation, if only for a brief, shining moment.

RussellBrandRussell Brand, one of my favorite non-conformists.