You are on page 1of 3

Youth is Beautiful Deceit | Warrior Athlete Philosopher

1 of 3

http://warriorathletephilosopher.com/2015/01/10/youth-is-beautiful-deceit/

Youth is Beautiful Deceit


JANUARY 10, 2015JANUARY 10, 2015 / SIFU2014

(h ps://warriorathletephilosopher.les.wordpress.com/2015/01
/fountain-of-youth.jpg)
Herodotus was the rst to write of the fountain of youth in the 5th
century B.C. and it has been the much sought-after object of
legend and mystery ever since. As we live longer, spending
proportionately more of our lives in the older years, our coveting
of youth has only grown stronger. Today, products and services
designed to restore youth (or the illusion thereof) unburden us of
billions of dollars every year, as our continuous struggle against
the onslaught of age intensies. The promise of youth is cruelly
deceptive however, and no amount of vim and vigor can release
us from the burden of aging, gracefully or otherwise. Father time
is indierent to our human strivings and despite our delusions of
invincibility; from the moment of conception death courts us all.
Perhaps borne of our frustrated angst, we now so applaud the
young, in their beautiful becoming, that we enable them to sit
back on their unrealized potential and bask in the glory of that
which they could be. Unrealized potential simply means you
11-05-2015 17:00

Youth is Beautiful Deceit | Warrior Athlete Philosopher

2 of 3

http://warriorathletephilosopher.com/2015/01/10/youth-is-beautiful-deceit/

havent done anything yet. So we ride this wave through our


teens and 20s, preferring the far more parsimonious and
comfortable route of the world is my oyster. We avoid
challenging ourselves to rely upon or appreciate experience,
because we intrinsically lack it when we are young, and arrogance
rejects reliance on external help. Since we want to be
self-contained and independent in our glory, we discount
experience. As we dismiss the value of experiential understanding
and replace it with a worship of our unrealized potential in
youth, are we se ing ourselves up for later misery? The so-called
midlife crisis and existential turmoil that is there to meet us on
the other side of our young years could be lessened if not avoided
altogether, if we challenged ourselves to take a dierent
perspective on age. Although few people say I cant wait to be
60, the truth is, the older you get, the more you can draw from
the understanding unique to a matriculated timeline. Young
people should not arrogantly bask in the glory of youth, and the
elderly should not succumb to the depleted stance proscribed by
dominant social paradigms.
Time, as much as it takes longevity from us, gives back in the
form of opportunity. The accumulation of years and experiences
provides one with more chances to improve, learn, grow and
recalibrate to a higher plane of existence. The mind that is open to
evidence of needed adjustment, seeking wisdom through
missteps, gathering perspectives that are valuable and guarding
against deleterious encounters with those who would
compromise clarity of understanding. Mistakes are a necessary
part of the learning curve, and should be embraced as the fodder
for experiential perspective. Fear of death is compounded when
life choices are not aligned with meaningful living. How hastily
we plunge into the onslaught of illusion, ignoring the warnings
against indulgence until the trap door is sealedand how many
traps are there? The worst kind of trap is the one you dont know
you are in, and there are several alignments of perception that
prevent the recognition of such traps. Realigning toward positive
course correction is often dicult for people of all ages, but most
particularly in those who are still under the spell of youth.
Inexperience, pride, and an egotistical avoidance of reality will
impede the progress of the young. Sadly, petulance can infect
people of all ages and too often, stubbornness is acquired in youth
but grasped until old age. Those who are closed minded,
inexible and self-righteous are, in my view, captured in a black
hole and escape velocity can only be achieved through critical
self-assessment. Although these observations may be obvious
to the reader, perhaps it only became so apparent when someone
pointed them out. In order to work your way out of the traps that
have so captured you, take stock of the things you do on a daily
basis to add comfort to the ones you love. Are you immersed
when listening to your loved ones reveal their most intimate
vulnerabilities? Age adds urgency to the need for making needed
adjustments that will propel our true lifes intentions. No ma er

11-05-2015 17:00

Youth is Beautiful Deceit | Warrior Athlete Philosopher

3 of 3

http://warriorathletephilosopher.com/2015/01/10/youth-is-beautiful-deceit/

what age you are now, see each day as an opportunity to


improve, and repel the tempting lure of assured but unexamined
convictions.
In his masterpiece, The Glass Bead Game, Herman Hesse
writes:
Our days are precious but we gladly see them going
If in their place we nd a thing more precious growing
A rare, exotic plant, our gardeners heart delighting;
A child whom we are teaching, a booklet we are writing.
I am now in my 60s, just at a new starting line. As the bar
continues to rise for me, I am able to hold on to the dream of
tomorrow, striving each day to actualize my full potential. If we
are up to the challenging and often uncomfortable position of not
being an expert, not resting on our laurels and coasting our way
through the twilight years, we may nd that time to be the most
compelling and fullling point in our lifes course. Perhaps it is
that orientation that holds the fountain of youth, or even
something more valuable than youthwisdom.

You May Like

Uncategorized

1.
YouTube
Millions: These Are The Top 7
YouTube Personalities 2 months ago
truemedialife.com
TrueMediaLife.com

CREATE A FREE WEBSITE OR BLOG AT WORDPRESS.COM. | THE HEMINGWAY REWRITTEN


THEME.
Follow

Follow Warrior Athlete Philosopher


Build a website with WordPress.com

11-05-2015 17:00

You might also like