I believe that it is vitally important to continually seek out activities and areas where one is weak. The easy reasons are that we can learn versatility, and from weakness develop new areas of strength. But in a world where it is so easy to be continually entertained and stimulated, the shock of weakness - of possibly losing - is an expanding force, reminding us of how much isn't certain. For me, this means seeking out organized team sport, where my occasional lack of coordination is put into the spotlight, as well as my poor VO2max. I don't know if I really enjoy looking so bad, but I do come away feeling different - perhaps more alive. Sports give me another look into life.
On a mostly unrelated note I've been watching a
web series on North Korea, a place where people must show devotion to the "Dear Leader" - of face death. Power over one's own life does not exist there - even the entire country is reliant on American food aid (what they label as "tribute"), and as long as it stands, with closed borders, I always want to remember how bad things could be if I had been born somewhere else.
