Freedom to ponder publicly

One of the things that worried me over a decade ago was I realized eventually would wander off from spending lots of time exercising my mind by figuring out my own math approaches. But if I were hugely successful at that could face social pressure against.

Of course was very naive about how things would go, but am facing such fears more squarely now as I work to maintain my sense of freedom in talking about just about any problem solving direction that interests me.

So why do I think social pressure is against?

Well imagine a rock star who wants to be a poet. Or a scientist who wants to be a rock star. Or how about an accomplished medical doctor who also wants to be a dancer?

If there is any sense of incongruity with those examples, you are sensing within yourself a vague sense many of us have of people needing to stick with what most think they do best. And my favorite example of the first is Jim Morrison, a rock star who died tragically who also had aspirations to be a poet, even published a book of poetry and from what I've seen in documentaries was devastated when was not well received.

And I bring him up because Jim Morrison is one of my historical favorites. I find his life fascinating.

Of course there are plenty of examples out there, which are probably less morbid too. As much as am a fan of Jim Morrison his story is rather depressing because of how his life ended.

If people know of you for one thing, then yes, they can expect you to keep doing it, which is not a surprise. But gist of it is that regardless, you can do other things. And AM lucky in that I didn't get any social pressure to continue with math at all.

Wait a minute, actually got the opposite. My attempts at figuring out my own math garnered me lots of ridicule from, well, math people. So funny. Most people don't care.

However my tendency to range may seem a bit off, or I imagine it does. If it doesn't, good! Am talking out my feelings here. It's so much about me. Facing these things so can handle them.

Hence this post. Will range as my curiosity and willingness to share my musings take me.

Which apparently is across a lot of territory. From money, to politics, and science and lots of things covered in between and beyond.

Here I like to ponder what I think is beyond mundane on all kinds of things.

So rest easy Jim Morrison. An inspiration through your tragedies. Your story can help others to both chase their dreams, and avoid their nightmares.


James Harris