Тонкое искусство пофигизма
Chapter 7
Therearenootheropportunitiestokeepgrowingandimproving,andyetit’sgrowththatgenerateshappiness,notalonglistofarbitraryachievements.
Inthissense,goals,astheyareconventionallydefined—graduatefromcollege,buyalakehouse,losefifteenpounds—arelimitedintheamountofhappinesstheycanproduceinourlives.Theymaybehelpfulwhenpursuingquick,short-termbenefits,butasguidesfortheoveralltrajectoryofourlife,theysuck.
Picassoremainedprolifichisentirelife.Helivedintohisninetiesandcontinuedtoproduceartupuntilhisfinalyears.Hadhismetricbeen“Becomefamous”or“Makeabuttloadofmoneyintheartworld”or“Paintonethousandpictures,”hewouldhavestagnatedatsomepointalongtheway.Hewouldhavebeenovercomebyanxietyorself-doubt.Helikelywouldn’thaveimprovedandinnovatedhiscraftinthewayshediddecadeafterdecade.
ThereasonforPicasso’ssuccessisexactlythesamereasonwhy,asanoldman,hewashappytoscribbledrawingsonanapkinaloneinacafé.Hisunderlyingvaluewassimpleandhumble.Anditwasendless.Itwasthevalue“honestexpression.”Andthisiswhatmadethatnapkinsovaluable.
PainIsPartoftheProcess
Inthe1950s,aPolishpsychologistnamedKazimierzDabrowskistudiedWorldWarIIsurvivorsandhowthey’dcopedwithtraumaticexperiencesinthewar.ThiswasPoland,sothingshadbeenprettygruesome.
