from Verse Forty-SixThe actions of a time go along with its motive forces; for those who do not know the Way, fortune is calamity.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
The very first thing that popped into my mind upon reading the above sentence concerns the reports about people who have won the lottery and then their life seems to fall apart. Back when they were poor working stiffs, they experienced the usual ups and downs of life, but they were relatively happy. Then one day they become instant millionaires and everything goes to hell in a hand basket from that point on.
There are also numerous stories of athletes and entertainers who, once they become stars, their lives seem to unravel out of control. While they were working their way up the ladder of success, they were decent folks, but all that changes once they have it made.
This is not to suggest that good fortune is necessarily a bad thing. Every life experiences high and lows. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the highs PROVIDED we keep things in perspective. And that's why calamity often comes hand-in-hand with success -- we lose our sense of perspective and start behaving as if the world owes us something!
It doesn't.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
There are also numerous stories of athletes and entertainers who, once they become stars, their lives seem to unravel out of control. While they were working their way up the ladder of success, they were decent folks, but all that changes once they have it made.
This is not to suggest that good fortune is necessarily a bad thing. Every life experiences high and lows. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the highs PROVIDED we keep things in perspective. And that's why calamity often comes hand-in-hand with success -- we lose our sense of perspective and start behaving as if the world owes us something!
It doesn't.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
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