"The human body is the best picture of the human soul."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Tonight, I am rocking a mean headache. So, I'll keep my remarks short...
When I read this quote, it pounced on me. I'm not one to drown in the religiousity of the use of the word "soul," but I like the idea that our body expresses our internal state. My beautiful mother-in-law has a saying that, when we are young, we can fake our beauty with makeup and stylish clothes; however, when we are old, we wear our character on our face.
It seems that she is in agreement with Wittgenstein.
The message is clear here. If we value our health, then we had better give thought to the development of our character during each and every day of our lives.
Here's my favorite idea emerging from this quote: While we always think that health is a mathematical function, a kind of reciprocal relationship between eating and exercising, there is another more fundamental part of the equation which is beyond the obvious quantifiables of scientific measurement: the mind.
Our mind has to be focused. With this focus, we have to craft an image of ourself. This image then has to be kept in mind as we go about our life. If we can do this, then our actions will fall into line with this mental image.
In this way, our bodies are very much the picture into our being.
Thank you, Wittgenstein, for reminding me of this simple and powerful wisdom!
Great reminder. I got hooked on this idea that I wanted to get into "shape," so I would be able to be in my old lady body in 40 years and still be healthy and dance around rather than in a wheelchair or using a walker. I became obsessed with my weight for awhile, using that as my measurement of my current and future health. The struggle and challenge knocked me off balance and the result has been a downward spiral completely out of kilter with mind and spirit. I have felt this shift of balance for awhile now, realizing my mind has become malnourished from overconsumption of mindless activity.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle is ongoing to reforge the balance and connection of body, mind and spirit. The need for reminders is constant as it is much easier to get off balance than to maintain it. Thank you for the much appreciated reminder in the form of simple wisdom.
Don't feel too bad. This mental balance we are talking about is a mindful exercise.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those balances that most of us navigate and slip from. And just like with meditation: if we lose our focus, then all we can do is patiently reorient our thinking back to balancing on the fulcrum.
Sending you love!
Dust off the mental workout apparel and apply to the facets of life that have been lacking...mahalo for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteHello Masarweh and Dr. Oliver,
ReplyDeleteWe, as human beings, naturally seek balance in life. Ironically, though, many of us fight against ourselves to attain balance on a daily basis. There are so many temptations that mischievously lure us to do things against our profound needs and wants.
Sometimes, we surrender to these temptations.
Of course, the feelings of guilt encourage us to dig deeper into the pit hole. Other times, we are strong enough to fight for what is right for us and successfully overcome the instant gratification. Buying a tenth purse for personal benefit regardless of how this might affect our family, for example, will probably result in negative consequences. Although being a conscious individual is challenging at times, we must put a little more effort into thinking about what we do, how we do, and when we do.
Thank you for having this discussion! I was able to take one dinner roll off of my plate today. It’s a start, right?
Cheers!