In my Genetics 210 lecture, we recently discussed mutations and repairs, and an irony occurred to me. Our biological processes “favor” variations of the genetic code (or to be more specific, have systems set in place to promote variation in the genetic code) while still keeping mechanisms that fix mutations; meaning, biology both promotes and inhibits mutations at the same time. This might seem counter-productive and mildly inefficient, but in truth it works and we are all evidence of that. In situations like this, there is no absolute on either end of the spectrum that is ideal; rather, a process like adaption and evolution is a balancing act.
At first this was surreal to me, and a little bit odd, but the more I consider this, the more I see how much our lives depend upon balances—not of just biologically but emotionally.
As students, we work hard for our grades, lest our college tuition goes to waste. Still, if we spend too much time focusing on our grades, our mental health is sure to decay. Grades need to be balanced with social interaction and exercise and work and a number of other things just to assure that we can make it through the semester without falling into a depression.
On top of that, our friends themselves must be managed. I have a friend from work who I agreed to learn a variety of Disney songs with (Let’s just say that when you are washing dishes for four hours, you need something to get through the shift.), a group of friends in my hall who I constantly want to visit and joke around with, and a couple friends on the computer who are frequently looking to play games together. Granted, I am extremely grateful to have so many friends in my life, but it also makes it difficult to balance who I put energy toward (when I don’t have other things to balance either).
Lastly, and perhaps the most difficult of all, is the pursuit of love. I know from experience how delicate of a balance this is, especially if you’re socially awkward like me. You want to take the initiative, be forward at times, but likewise, you want to let some stuff just fall into place, letting fate and chance light your way. It’s incredibly easy to tilt immediately toward one of these two when the other fails, but that simply won’t work.
With all of these balances, and many more in life, no absolute is ever the right answer, just as in biology, there is nearly never a rule that is 100 percent true: Life is more complex than that. It may seem safe to immediately jump in the opposite direction of a mistake, but I want to tell you that it is simply jumping from one frying pan to the other. Instead, just try toning back a bit. There is bound to be a “sweet spot” eventually.
And if this article seems a little chaotic, then I am sorry. Some of these ideas are more felt than realized. But truly, that’s the way of life. We don’t know what is going on, we just feel it—a tug in the chest, an unsteady head, an overbearing feeling of doom or peace or tension. This is life: A constant effort to decode our own impulses while trying to please them at the same time.
“Life is strange.”
Just repeat that to yourself a couple times. You can hope for happiness or fortune. You can tell yourself that you’ll get that job or your book will get published—and indeed you should. Still, nothing will ever turn out exactly how you plan… It sucks, it’s unnerving, and its truly just one big pain in the ass, but it’s also part of life.
Just try to enjoy it.
