Inertia is defined by Sir Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion, which states:
Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight ahead, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by forces impressed.
Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight ahead, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by forces impressed.
According to Isaac Asimov: "This tendency for motion (or for rest) to maintain itself steadily unless made to do otherwise by some interfering force can be viewed as a kind of "laziness," a kind of unwillingness to make a change."
This is the story of our lives. How easy it is to stay where we are at.
We're in a relationship that is going nowhere and is all but over. But do we end it? No, that would be too difficult. Instead, we try to find "some interfering force", like another relationship, to end it for us and also give us something to move on to. So many people "cheat" simply as a way out.
We're in a job that is soul-draining and doesn't even pay the bills. But do we end it? No, we let inertia run our lives until an outside force causes us to make a change.
How absurd that you might jump ship without a lifeboat. How absurd that you might quit your job without already having one to replace it. How absurd that you might end a relationship by simply walking away quietly, peaceably.
We are ruled by inertia.
3 comments:
Interesting thoughts on inertia and life. I've observed some of the same behavior here in the NW US.
but in a spiritual context, what's the difference between inertia and "waiting on God"? Or the difference between inertia and a planned escape? Have to be careful with perception. What one may see as inertia in another's life may be something very different indeed.
maybe God is the "outside force" causing change
question is, how do you know it?
sometimes you just have to leap before you look.
is that called a step of faith?
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