What do you care what other people think?

Lately, I have been thinking about life, the universe, and everything (i know the answer is close to 41 :p ). It's the time of my life when I have to make a choice... which might influence the rest of it.

During this contemplation, I was reminded of this book by Feynman called "What do you care what other people think?" (equally wonderful, but less popular than "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!"). Though the book is just a collage of snippets from his life like the other book, the choice of the title hit me hard and got stuck in my mind eversince I read this book.

I still feel the same awe and burst out "Exactly!" to myself everytime I see the title as if I am seeing it the first time.

I don't see a reason why I have to bother about what other people think of me or my actions? I just have one life. I would rather play my own game, lay my own path, and live my life. New truths are not discovered by following others. We need courage to lose, fight conventions, and break away from bonds to achieve greatness, because success is the prerogative of the brave. I am not saying I will be successful or great. But I will definitely live free doing what I really want to do.

Descartes once said:

"So blind is the curiosity by which mortals are possessed, that they often conduct their minds along unexplored routes, having no reason to hope for success, but merely being willing to risk the experiment of finding whether the truth they seek lies there."

I am that curious monkey and I hope that I will never lose will to follow my own path and go where my mind takes me.

The moment you go with the flow mindlessly is also the moment you lost your self.

Dead On Arrival

When I was in school, I loved Somerset Maugham's writings. Back then, I always admired him as a sarcastic short story writer. As I grew up, I started reading his other works and realized that sarcasm and wit are just the foreground he uses to present a more profound truth in the background. One of his quotes which I thought is ridiculously funny when I first read it is...

"The love that lasts longest is the love that is never returned."

But then, after a few years and more works of his, I finally found the beauty in it.
(Truth is beautiful!)

The most beautiful work of his that I read is Razor's Edge ( I am yet to read Of Human Bondage ), which is a true masterpiece.
Coming to the topic of the quote, unrequited love seems to be the deepest and the most painful emotion as people say it is. It has inspired a lot of artists and yielded a great lot of literary work over the years and I presume it will as long as evolution supports emotions.

"A mighty pain to love it is,

And 'tis a pain that pain to miss;

But of all pains, the greatest pain

It is to love, but love in vain."