Heraclitus's Flux
The mystical beauty of Alaska lured Chris McCandless. To him, it was divine, and being a part of that divinity was the ultimate goal. The moment he got the chance to be there, he knew it was his calling. He never wanted to conquer the wild; he just wanted to feel the beauty of that place. Living with nature, exploring, feeding, feeling the true colors of life was what made him the most joyful during those moments. He felt alive, and it was his metaxu. His understanding of the intensity of that very moment made him closer not only to nature but to himself. “You cannot step in the same river twice,” is a phrase attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus and his philosophy about constant flux. The central idea of the phrase depicts the harsh reality of a time-bound universe where everything is impermanent. The choices we make, the paths we follow, will be the only testimony of the life one lives. The lines above about Chris McCandless mark the beginning of our essay, whi...