Negative capability. Or as John Keats defines it, the ability of being capable in uncertainties without reaching after fact and reason and to be content with “half knowledge.” In layman terms, negative capability means to be okay with the unknown, to live fully in the present without worrying so much about the uncertain future and to embrace things as they come.
No matter what point in life we are in, we are constantly facing a slew of uncertainties. We never know what the next day will bring or where this life will take us. And to think about it, most of our present lives are spent as a means of “preparation” for the future. We worked hard in high school so that in the future, we’ll be able to attend a great university. We want to attend a great university so that in the future, we’ll be able to land a good, high-paying job. We want a high-paying job so that in the future, we’ll be able to earn enough to provide for our family. We want to provide for our family so that in the future, they’ll be able to live a comfortable life and receive a good education. Just for them to repeat this whole cycle again for their own future families. It truly is a vicious cycle.
To put it in the perspective of college students and/or fresh graduates; we, too are facing a host of uncertainties. We’re staring out into the unknown because once college ends, that’s our time to step out into the world and face reality. It’s time for us to take charge of our lives and figure out how we’re going to survive and be financially independent.
As a result, we’re constantly wrapped up in worrying about the future, what it holds for us, what we’re going to do when we graduate, whether we’ll land that job we’ve dreamed of, whether we’ll be able to provide for our future families or whether all our hard work will just go down the drain. Everything is uncertain. So, we tell ourselves that we have to overwork ourselves now so that we can enjoy ourselves in the future. But isn’t it a little sad that we’re sacrificing our happiness now for happiness in the future? We are so caught up in living for the future that we’ve slowly missed out on the beauty of now.
Keats, on the other hand, believed in living life spontaneously, in luxuriating in each and every experience that came his way every day. Although he passed away at an early age due to tuberculosis, which was incurable at the time, he still led a full life. I think we all need to be a little more like John Keats and embrace negative capability. Live in the now. Be present. Make connections. Laugh until your belly hurts. Create moments. Love even though you’ve been burnt. Just live. Stop trying to convince yourself that there is a “right” time to enjoy life and be happy.
Stop seeing the future as a destination and understand that “now” is the culmination of everything. If you’re thinking of life in terms of the future, understand that “now” in some sense, is the future – it was the future you dreamt of years ago as a kid when you wanted to get into a good university. Or if you’re a fresh graduate, “now” is the future you dreamt of when you were just an inexperienced freshman, struggling to get through university and counting down the days until you graduate. Take a breath. You made it!
This is not to say that you shouldn’t care at all about your future and chase after temporary, fleeting happiness. This is just a reminder that we all owe ourselves a break and that we need a healthy balance. While it’s important to have goals and work hard to achieve them, don’t forget to stop and take a look around you; it won’t be long before this passes you by too. Appreciate every moment you have right now. Blink, and you’ll miss it.
