Life 'must be lived forwards'

History certainly has its value but it is difficult to prudently move forward if we are focused too intently on looking backward.

What's more, the present moment is valuable in terms of mindfulness and self-awareness, but can also be a source of anxiety, especially if we allow ourselves to be disturbed by the noise that surrounds us.

Today's Uncommon Wisdom comes from one of my favorite philosophers, Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855):

It's quite true what philosophy says, that life must be understood backwards.  But one then forgets the other principle, that it must be lived forwards.  A principle which, the more one thinks it through, precisely leads to the conclusion that life in time can never be properly understood, just because no moment can acquire the complete stillness needed to orient oneself backward.

I believe the modern-day analogy of driving a car works well:  We should be mindful of the task at hand   (the present moment) and eliminate distraction to the best of our ability; check the rear-view mirror from time to time but not to the point of fixation; keep our own pace with the underlying goal of "arriving on time" with little regard for the pace others are keeping; and we should try to see the big picture so as to see, not only a few feet in front of us, but the road ahead and all that surrounds it.

In fact, perhaps we could travel well if we attempt to drive on a road that is a bit less traveled... 

What are your thoughts? 

Comments

[Jeremy Welch]

Looking in the rearview mirror even a little bit might be a mistake. Trying to connect the dots in the past might result in generating false conclusions about the way the world works.

[Kent @ The Financial Philosopher]

Jeremy:

You make a great point, as usual...

Perhaps we could create a purpose for the "rear-view mirror" other than just "looking back."

How about if we turn it towards ourselves? That way we will only be able to look forward, and when we are tempted to "look back," we will only see our own image...