Yes, we have no choice but to be active, writing or teaching or loving or whatever else.
Why?
Because we think happiness lies outside.
When we realize happiness is inside, we become calm, and we do the bare minimum to keep the body alive.
Else, depending on our inner desires we will enage in multifarious activities in the world, from doing a job to earn a living, to marrying, having kids, travelling, fighting court cases, maybe now and then having a few extramarital affairs and whatnot depending on our guna.
While I cannot prescribe how each one should live one’s life, let me share my thoughts in this direction.
Here’s what I intend to do for the rest of my life.
Get up in the morning. Exercise. Brush teeth. Have coffee and breakfast and read newspaper. Pass motion. Have bath. Do some writing work for the couple of people I work for – this would take no more than 1 hour/day. Rest of the time, just sit quietly and let the day unfold as per one’s destiny without any active intention on one’s part – this could involve taking a call or two, writing a little bit as I am doing now, maybe listen to a song or two, watch an occasional movie, read a little bit online or a book or two, maybe even take an evening walk, come back, then retire to bed after a while. In between, if you fall ill, go to hospital, hire or seek help if you need it there.
Repat this everyday until you die.
No frills and fuss.
Long story short, just keep the body alive, and forget about the mind and heart.
The above is the story I tell myself.
But, it may not be relevant to you because as Thoreau wrote in Walden: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.”
“Marching to a different drummer,” a phrase meaning to act independently, comes directly from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, where he wrote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer,” advocating for individualism, self-reliance, and nonconformity over societal pressures, a core theme of Transcendentalism. The idiom, popularized mid-20th century, reflects Thoreau’s call to live authentically and follow one’s own inner rhythm, as explored in his book about simplifying life and connecting with nature.
The Thoreau Connection in Walden
- Quote Origin: The famous line appears in Walden, emphasizing that diverging from the crowd isn’t necessarily wrong but a sign of hearing a unique inner music.
- Individualism: Thoreau championed each person’s unique path, contrasting it with the “quiet desperation” of conforming to societal expectations.
- Transcendentalist Ideals: This idea aligns with Transcendentalism’s focus on intuition, personal conscience, and spiritual discovery outside of conventional norms.
Meaning of the Phrase
- Nonconformity: The idiom describes someone who thinks, lives, or behaves differently from most people.
- Following One’s Own Path: It signifies a refusal to follow the mainstream, choosing instead to follow one’s own unique purpose or internal guide.
In essence, the phrase links directly to Thoreau’s philosophy in Walden—encouraging readers to discover and live by their own authentic truths, even if it means walking out of step with the rest of the world’s parade.
Know Thyself 