Without any effort or intervention, a system will gradually decline into disorder. This is due to what’s known as entropy. Entropy is the reason why (if neglected over time) our houses get messier, our bodies become flabbier, and our relationships grow more distant. Like gravity, entropy acts as a constant force that, unless we do something about it, pulls our lives down towards disarray.
If you want to maintain the status quo - whether it’s staying in shape, nurturing important relationships, or organizing your life - you have to make a consistent effort to offset entropy’s negative effects. If you actually want to improve on any of these things, you have to do even more. When it comes to staying fit, that means continuing to eat right and stay active, even after you’ve done the hard work to lose weight and improve your health. For relationships, it means not taking anyone close to you for granted by staying in constant contact, making an effort to see the other person, and always giving them your undivided attention.
The longer we delay action, the harder it becomes to overcome entropy. There’s a reason people stay in bad marriages and shitty jobs. As much as they’d love to change their circumstances and improve their lot, the thought of how much effort it would take to start over just seems too daunting. It’s much easier to just succumb to the weight of entropy and spare themselves all that exertion.
Fighting off the effects of entropy also gets harder as we age, something I can definitely relate to. What once seemed effortless in my youth, now requires a good amount of energy and will power. Learning a new skill or trying to make new friends can be draining. Sometimes even the simple act of dressing up in the morning and trying to look presentable seems like a lot of work! But I also know this is part of the deal with entropy and getting older, and if I want to keep evolving, I have to make more of an effort than I’m used to. It’s not easy, but it certainly beats the alternative: a slow eroding of the status quo.
If you want to sustain all the gains you’ve worked hard to accomplish in your life, you can’t just put your feet up once the initial work is done. The same goes for your personal growth. You have to make a constant effort throughout life to fight off the forces that want to pull you back towards disorder.
Comments