Heraclitus of Ephesus said, “You cannot step into the same river twice”. The river may look the same as it was, it is indeed, changed. Excluding any probable movements of all dimensions of river, rocks, fish or whatsoever, the water is not the same between both moments. The water may look same, it may have the same attributes as previous, but in fact it is different. This seems to be bit odd, yet what he meant was that river is ever changing, so do we and continuous flux changes the water that has once flown over one’s feet. Water is always moving and that constant change makes is different altogether.
Heraclitus is known as dark philosopher, he claims “Life is flux (Panta Rhei)” i.e. everything in cosmos is in state of continuous change. The actual nature of life is flux, is change. And the resistance for the change is essentially resistance of existence essence. Things do change around us quite naturally, but humans resist this natural flow and put themselves in various issues.
But for Heraclitus, change and resistance (opposition) are necessary for life. There will be no harmony without light and dark, low and high notes, cold and hot even life and death. For life to be dynamic there is need to be conflict in opposites; optimum conflict maintains the world. Conflict does not interfere with life, but rather a precondition of life. Conflict does not in any terms mean to be in constant state of war. Strife is justice, besides everything transpires agreeing to necessity and strife.
The change of river is analogous to human behavior. People are never the same, the keep on changing. Everything is continuously changing which is central to universe’s functioning. Every single speck in this world is changing, although slow might be the change yet it is inevitable. Essence of life lies in continuous and vigorous change and opposition.
All is in state of flux. In order to have the change to be advantageous, human’s capability to change is most important. Dynamic world needs dynamic behaviors. Success lies in embracing change, even if things are changing at the speed of light.
The basic idea is to hold on the pace for change as life is moving; changes take you to places worth discovering. But incompetence to hold the change and take conflict as indispensable and natural construction of life, life will be full of dissatisfactions and dullness. Problems arise over refusal to accept life what it is actually-flux.
by: Marria Ghalib
Tags: Life is Flux
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