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Just as we outgrow a pair of trousers, we outgrow acquaintances, libraries, principles, etc., at times before they’re worn out and at times — and this is the worst of all — before we have new ones. — Lichtenberg
I’m tired of being tired of work; of Mondays. I’m tired of that ‘give us this day our daily dread’ feeling. Above all I want something new and exciting — I want to look forward to my work.
The longing for ‘the new’ however, I admit, is deadly: ‘the new’ is just another phrase for a fantasy; for the fantasies that life in a commercial society demands.
The hardest thing to do is to admit that our lives will probably not change; that the slog does not abate. Fantasy — the fantasy of escape from work-a-day reality — is analogous to sugar: a heady rush that cripples our body’s ability to adapt and flourish.
The question of, ‘How can I get out?’ is less philosophically interesting than ‘Why can’t I get out?’
We learn more about ourselves by admitting that we’re stuck; we deceive ourselves in thinking that much can change.
The American myth of robust individualism conceals how brutal and de-individualizing American-style capitalism is. The constant hunger for self-improvement, for climbing the ladder — the fantasy of a perfect life — is integral to the functioning of this economic system.
