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diff --git a/Content/posts/2025-01-12-my-interpretation-of-the-poem-if.md b/Content/posts/2025-01-12-my-interpretation-of-the-poem-if.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a7cfb71 --- /dev/null +++ b/Content/posts/2025-01-12-my-interpretation-of-the-poem-if.md @@ -0,0 +1,70 @@ +--- +date: 2025-01-12 16:18 +description: My interpretation of the poem If— by Rudyard Kipling +tags: Writings +draft: true +--- + +# Interpreting If— by Kipling + +I wouldn't really consider myself to be a stoic person, nor have I finished Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. But, one thing that has really influenced me is the poem If. Praise the syllabus cooridnator for NCERT to have assigned this poem for 6th graders, but I really do feel like this is how I have decided to live my life. I may have a different interpretation than what Rudyard Kipling intended, and that is fine. As I feel like I am the only person who can give meaning to something for myself. + +> If you can keep your head when all about you +> Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; +> If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, +> But make allowance for their doubting too: +> If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, +> Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, +> Or being hated don't give way to hating, +> And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; + +I interpret this stanza as basically a guide to keep calm when shit hits the fan. In a situation that is beyond your control or something that you did not do, when everyone else is blaming you for who you are, what you are doing, stay calm and stay rational. When people are doubting your abilities, or your character, make sure you are capable of ignoring them and trusting yourself and your abilites, but at the same time make sure that if there is any valid criticism, you do use it to become a better person. + +> If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; +> If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim, + +This is more of a guideline to make sure that you should be both rational and ambitious at the same time. Sometimes you know something doesn't make any rational sense, but you just do it because why not? Same with how you really want to send that text message because of what if, but you know for sure what is going to happen. + +> If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster +> And treat those two impostors just the same: + +Now, this is where my interpretation might be different from the interpretations of stoics. I think of this as if I can be happy when I succeed, and sad when soemthing doesn't go my way or I fail at something, if I can make sure to learn what can be learned from both success or failure, and as long as I gave it my 100%, then winning or losing is just an outcome that would have happened anyway. I don't interpret this as not celebrating when you win, or not learning anything from failure. I treat this as two sides of the same coin, and not being able to control the outcome, but being able to give my best, and then if I don't succeed then treating that as a succesful learning experience. + +> If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken +> Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, +> Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, +> And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools; + +People love talking about stuff. And, as any game of Chinese whispers (also known as Telephone) can show you, what you start out with is rarely how it ends up. People can lie about you, or rumours can crop up, or even misunderstandings can happen. Sometimes a project you have been working on for months can crumble right in front of you because you missed an important detail. All you have to do is say "balls balls balls" and then get right back to start working on it again. + +> If you can make one heap of all your winnings +> And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, +> And lose, and start again at your beginnings +> And never breathe a word about your loss: + +What one has achieved in the past is amazing, and if it gives expereince or something to learn from then it is amazing, but other than that it is all moot. You should be able to risk it all and gamble everything on something if you think it is worth risking everything for. (Of course, as you grow your risk for apetite goes down, is that a good or bad thing, I don't know). If you win that gamble or risk, oh that is amazing and you should be happy about it, But if you don't win and lose it all, that is completely fine. Just move on, learn from your mistakes but don't make excuses about why you lost that or why you couldn't do something. As long as you gave it your all, it shouldn't matter, just keep giving it your all and learn from your mistakes and keep going at it. + +> If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew +> To serve your turn long after they are gone, +> And so hold on when there is nothing in you +> Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!' + +There comes a time when you are both emotionally and physically exhausted, maybe things in your life are not going the way you want them to go. Nothing you are doing seems to make a difference and everything you do seems to be the wrong choice. Or more literally, you are doing a streneous activity and you just want to call it quits, take it easy. That is the moment when you need to push yourself beyond what you think are your limits. When there is a miniscule chance of you being able to push through but you will yourself out of the sitation, just pushing through all the boring grunt work which is boring but needs to get done, because you are the kind of person that gets stuff done. + +> If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, +> Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, +> If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, +> If all men count with you, but none too much: + +People come in different shapes and sizes. What one person you are talking to wants out of their life is not necessarily what you want to get out of your life. Don't judge people based on what they want, don't judge people for what they have or don't. Just because a group of people want to do something that doesn't gel with what you would do, you don't have to follow them. Hold your own, and act according to your ethics and morals. There will be times when you have a position of power over someone, or you are better at something than someone, and sometimes you are going to be in awe of someone who has some skills you have only dreamed of. All of these needed to be treated as the same. Learning can come from anywhere, from anyone, and there is a lot to learn. So learn from everyone, stay humble, and don't judge people. + +Neither overtly negative or positive responses from anyone should be able to influence what you think or influence your state of mind. People should be able to count on you, you should be the kind of person who shows up for other people and ... + +> If you can fill the unforgiving minute +> With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, +> Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, +> And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son! + +Time doesn't stop for anyone. You can do nothing or do a lot of things, time will pass either way. Time is unforgiving in the fact that it won't wait for you, it won't wait for whatever situation you are in to end, or it won't wait for you to be happy. You have to be able to muster up the courage to constantly be working towards your goal. How much time you get is not known. You could suddenly die of a brain aneurysm even while being a healthy adult (citation_needed). You should be able to look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know that you spent your time well. This doesn't mean that you have to become a workaholic and simply keep working on something all the time. Spending time with friends and family is also time well spent for some people. Relaxing by utilising afternoon siestas, or by playing video games is also time well spent for some people. There isn't a one size fits all answer for what is considered time well spent, that will differ person to person, but just use your time well. + +And, if you can do all of these things well, if you can fall in love with the process instead of one of your goals, you will be happy, and you will live a life you love. |