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The Radical Individualist's avatar

No, I've never been on a life or death patrol in the jungle. But like many, I have had to make decisions that in some cases were insignificant, but in others could be disastrous. Going slowly, stepping carefully, is what you do when you recognize the significance of the consequences. Other times you are more callous, because consequences are not so dire. So, before you decide what to do, determine how much it matters. I've seen large, established businesses go bankrupt over what seemed to be an inconsequential decision.

In the past, life was largely about survival. It didn't have to be life and death; it could merely be about bringing in enough crops and cutting enough firewood to get thru the winter. Mundane but essential.

Many people today have 'careers' that are essentially pointless. It doesn't matter if they're good at it. Sucess is largely indistinguishable from failure, and there is essentially no risk or reward beyond a steady paycheck and benefits. Out of that, some question their existence. They should.

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Ed Brenegar's avatar

My immediate response to the question of boredom is what I told my sons when they would claim to be bored. Boredom is the lack of application of imagination to you current situation. In effect, always be advancing, even one step a day, a week, or a year, and, be curious. I like this story because it has a domestic component to it. However, the further I read, my mind went to Jonathan Shay’s two books on Vietnam combat experience, seen through the lens of Homer. Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character, and, Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming. I end up thinking about the resilience of hope, brotherhood, and purpose as the measure of character as exhibited in the story of Admiral James Stockdale and his leadership as a POW in Vietnam, https://edbrenegar.substack.com/p/hope-that-is-real.

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