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Nothing Stays the Same
Why the Natural State of Reality is Regression
We tend to think in our hubris or in our day-to-day life that things naturally stay the same. From day to day, the incremental change, positive or negative, is very small. It has to be, and that’s a good thing! That means things can’t change too fast.
“There is nothing permanent except change.”
Heraclitus
However, the default state for anything is regression. It’s breaking down. If you work your squat up to 200 pounds, it’s not going to stay like that if you stop going to the gym! It’s going to go down. You don’t get 200 pounds and hold on to it forever. You have to maintain that. There’s a minimum required work that you have to do in order to maintain that strength.
“In my kingdom, you have to run as fast as you can just to stay in the same place.”
The Red Queen, Alice in Wonderland
That phenomenon — that regression is nature’s default — is built into the fabric of reality, and it’s something that we all have to contend with.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in learning more, listen to similar reflections on The Strong Stoic Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
