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, which will revolve around how a moment is unique in its existence, and the very next moment is completely different. All the choices and decisions made will affect us, and that’s what makes a moment crucial, as it will decide how one in the future turns their head and looks back at their life. Now that decision-making is an important factor here, we must examine how and what affects the ability of decision-making. Most of it is indeed cognitive. What we observe, how we live, and what people we are surrounded by take up a huge part of our mental thinking abilities. But what makes an individual stand out is the ability to think beyond, to think revolutionarily. If everyone started thinking within the box, then the human race would become less diverse and monotonous.

While surfing through the pages of Indian history, we must have come across the noble personality named Raja Ram Mohan Roy. This Indian man of British India is still talked about. What made him great? Well, Raja Ram Mohan Roy not only suggested the involvement of Western education in India to civilize Indians, but he also fought against social injustice and evil practices such as sati to redeem the prestige of women in society. But the question arises: what made him do so? Well, because he saw the practice of sati in his own household, and since you cannot step in the same river twice, he, at that very moment, decided to bring a change so that no other woman would go through such a heinous death again. That is the way a moment has its own intensity, and that is exactly what makes it unique. The courage to reject the concept of normal conformity and live a life based on individualization is the next step in a revolution.

Lack of fearlessness is the foundation of profound decision-making. One who fears ostracization will never be able to balance a moment. If Galileo Galilei had feared the charges of house arrest by the church, then today we would not have been studying Newton’s laws of motion, Albert Einstein’s genius contributions to physics, and, very presently, the dream of colonizing Mars would not have struck our heads. This lack of fearlessness is what makes a man great. According to the great man theory, the world-class, timelessly great changes came into the world because a few great men took the risk, gave importance to a temporary moment, went in sync with ever-changing dynamics, and made the world a better place. The list is endless: Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and their contributions towards freedom and equality, while Gautam Buddha’s devotion to finding liberation and eternal truth—the divine essence of faith—still lingers in the hearts of those who were brought to peace by the changes these respected individuals brought into the world.

Until now in the essay, we have talked about the intensity of the moment and its fragility of being one of its kind, and how the act of decision-making shapes it. But there is a need to think about a certain ethical code of conduct while making decisions, which is necessary in this race to make the best out of a moment. Are we crumbling someone else’s way of life? It can be in many ways, maybe out of desire or narcissism.How Benito Mussolini led Italy into the extreme dark ages of dictatorship during World War II must have ruined the dreams and lives of Italians. This type of efficiency is not moral. Eventually, what goes around comes around.He the dictator, like many others who rose to power and fell, shared the very same fate.So, the decision-making ability of that one instance can lay down the path of your life.

No wonder life always comes full circle.

In the present times, our lives have become fast-paced and hectic. People are busy running in this race of corporate life and capitalism without stopping to think that they will never get these youthful years back. Instead, the world needs to slow down a bit, get their heads out of the stock market, taxes, and insurances, and look around, enjoying what this world offers. There is so much to see, learn, and experience that one will never run out of joy. Exploring brings us closer to what we love because that is when an individual really feels the importance of what is actually important to them. This ritual should be performed at the very instance at which the clock strikes the right time, and one should let themselves stand in the river because the next moment it will change, just like the way the water in the river does. Like a moment, it will have its own importance, but again, it will not be the same as the previous one. It too shall pass away in a rhythm, and this continuous series of movement is what one calls life. Like a river, it keeps flowing, and you can never go back; there is always a way ahead.

“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation.” Chris lived 113 days in Alaska, and in his last days, he was at peace with his decisions and choices. He died on August 18, 1992. He died doing what he truly, religiously, and lastly, longed for.