illusion

Most things do not matter.

We live under the illusion that our choices will cause core changes. Most of the change we see are insignificant in the big picture. What really matters is what stays, the self.¹

We change things. Buying new clothes, going to different locations, having different meals, applying for new schools or jobs will only change external things. Yes, there is some change, but it falls short on modifying the resident qualities. It is no more than an ε. How you view an event is essentially more impactful than the event itself, and events do not last forever. How you think of someone or what you do in life or what meaning you have are also quite similar. They are all more substantial than their objects, and they all reveal some truth about your self. A truth that will hardly change, but can.

If, you have a long-lasting dissatisfaction, do not let it sink your soul and life with time. You have only one go at this, no reason to make it miserable. Instead, look at how you make that dissatisfaction embody substance. Chances are you have tried to change the thing before, and it didn’t help. Chances are you need to change mindset. It is like building yourself a new fortress on another hill through which you look at the surrounding lands. It takes time to build a whole fucking fortress solo. It takes effort and determination. But the new view is the change you crave for. It might even be the one you deserve. Leaving the old, comfy, safe fortress unoccupied is never easy. After all, it was part of the self you’ve built yourself for years and years. You’ve probably grown accustommed to its stench, and the new fortress smell is not bearable at first. But if all else has failed, then you’ve exhausted your options, and there is no reason in trying fruitless decorative changes in the old fortress. Its view of the surrounding annoyances will never change.

The illusory part about the new mindset is that it does not come to you as a choice. It is a compulsion, an urge, sometimes a coincidence. All that needs doing is to take notice, and follow the path to a change that might eventually matter.