Life is a process, not a result.

Image by Sonja Alphonso from Pixabay

The thing about being results oriented is that you miss out on all the pleasure in the rush to get to the end. There is a cry of despair that AI can do everything now, what’s the point of doing anything. To be honest I really don’t care what AI can do, because what AI cannot do is get pleasure from doing.

It’s like thinking that the only worthwhile thing in sex is having an orgasm. The hit that lasts seconds and then it’s all over. Having five minute sex focussed only on achieving it and then finding yourself unfulfilled, unsatisfied and wanting more. That’s cheating on yourself and just plain bad sex. The real pleasure lies in the hour or more that you can linger in before the orgasm. The exploration of self and other. The delight in discovery. The warmth of intimacy and connection. Whether it’s sex, or music, or cooking, or talking, or running, or watching a movie, the real purpose is not in the end result but in the doing.

End results are about externalities, like publishing, or fame, or prestige, or money. Ephemeral things that we convince ourselves are important whilst we ignore the simple, free of charge, immediately to hand, internal experiences and pleasures that nourish us.