In defence of irrationality
This post was originally a tweetstorm here that I wrote for fun but turned serious. Figured it was worth turning into a blog post. Minor edits & Title Credits to ChatGPT.
When it comes to pushing ourselves to our limits, sometimes we do things that seem irrational. We may push ourselves physically and mentally, not necessarily for rational reasons, but for the sake of challenge, to prove a point to ourselves (or simply substitute getting high?). This quest for greatness involves quenching our thirst for stupidity, and it's a pursuit that is not without merit.
Recently, I tried Good Mornings for the first time ever in the gym, and I was sure it was going to be a bad idea. But it turned out that it wasn't that bad for a first attempt. I only used 5 kg plates a side, and my legs were shaking, but that was because I had already done 3 sets of 2 count pause squats to failure earlier. Now, some of you might say, "What kind of moron does 3 sets of squats to failure?" But sometimes, we do things that seem crazy, not because they are rational, but because we want to push ourselves to our limits. Maybe it is me trying to find meaning & purpose. Maybe it is just thrill seeking. A chip on the shoulder? Maybe it is all of it. Valid reasons, but probably not logical reasons.
There was an old man I once knew, far wiser than I due to age and experience or whatever, who told me, "How you dress for the gym is more important than how you dress for work." To him, treating the gym as seriously as, or more seriously than, your work is a sign of having your priorities straight. Being dedicated to remaining healthy means you are serious about work and would likely make a better worker or boss. A healthy body means a healthy mind.
Of course, this does not apply to the morons who work out for show and try to gather a following online. This refers to the pure pursuit of strength or any other fitness goal one may be trying to achieve. For that goal, you should always be prepared with the best gear possible.
On the spectrum of stupidity, pushing ourselves to our limits lies pretty low. When we do things that seem irrational, we are not only pushing ourselves physically and mentally, but we are also expanding our boundaries, testing our limits, and proving to ourselves that we can go beyond rationality and achieve greatness. Rationality often is limited by what we know & think of as limits, but the limits cannot be known unless explored & pushed. Maybe there are no limits, to human stupidity as well as human tenacity. Just keep going is my message to myself.
Commentaires