- #1
paalfis
- 69
- 2
I was talking to my classmates at university and I noticed something that really disliked me. I started to notice that almost everyone that was there, was working hard for no reason at all other than achieving something. Some where trying to get an A in a middle exam, others trying to publish some work, others obsessed with winning a competition, even one of them was crazy for winning a Fields medal...
Anyway, the reason I was there working today is not easily described with words, here is a short story that will help you understand it.
I heard some years ago of one very interesting neurologist. He was a very rich, professional and serious guy, good wife, big house, etc.. Getting to his 50s, he suffered some kind of temporary brain disease that forced him to stop working for some time. During his sabbatical, he started to realize that he wasn't really happy with his life, that everything he did was because he was supposed to do it. He looked back in his younger years and realize that the only time he had been actually happy was a long time ago, when he learned to (roller)skate. He remembered the sensation of skating on one foot as the only thing he has ever really like. So he decided to quit his job, leave his material wife, sell his house; and go to live near the sea, where everyday he goes out at 7 am, skate on one foot until 7 pm, with a big smile on his face.
Ok, so I have been thinking about this guy lately. What do you think he would say if some crazy person stop him during daily way and say to him: "Congratulations! You earned an award for the best skater in the world!". Well, he would only think about how is he going to manage to still go skating in the day of the award ceremony.
My feelings for physics, for understanding and predicting nature, for staring at a white piece of paper challenging me to solve "the" problem, are some how like skating on one foot is for this guy. Some people just can't understand, I really do not care about any kind of achievement, my reaction for awards is like this: Oh.. that is good I suppose.. but when I can get back to the problem I was thinking of?
I just do it because I enjoy doing it, I suppose it feels like skating on one foot.
Anyway, the reason I was there working today is not easily described with words, here is a short story that will help you understand it.
I heard some years ago of one very interesting neurologist. He was a very rich, professional and serious guy, good wife, big house, etc.. Getting to his 50s, he suffered some kind of temporary brain disease that forced him to stop working for some time. During his sabbatical, he started to realize that he wasn't really happy with his life, that everything he did was because he was supposed to do it. He looked back in his younger years and realize that the only time he had been actually happy was a long time ago, when he learned to (roller)skate. He remembered the sensation of skating on one foot as the only thing he has ever really like. So he decided to quit his job, leave his material wife, sell his house; and go to live near the sea, where everyday he goes out at 7 am, skate on one foot until 7 pm, with a big smile on his face.
Ok, so I have been thinking about this guy lately. What do you think he would say if some crazy person stop him during daily way and say to him: "Congratulations! You earned an award for the best skater in the world!". Well, he would only think about how is he going to manage to still go skating in the day of the award ceremony.
My feelings for physics, for understanding and predicting nature, for staring at a white piece of paper challenging me to solve "the" problem, are some how like skating on one foot is for this guy. Some people just can't understand, I really do not care about any kind of achievement, my reaction for awards is like this: Oh.. that is good I suppose.. but when I can get back to the problem I was thinking of?
I just do it because I enjoy doing it, I suppose it feels like skating on one foot.