These three balls are in three “balanced” states. The small ball on the left is “stable”. If it is moved a certain distance, it can return to its original shape as long as the distance is not too far. The small ball in the middle does not matter whether it is stable or unstable. If it is moved a certain distance, it can live and work peacefully in its new place. The small ball on the right is “unstable”. Even if it is touched slightly, it will slide all the way down and never return to its original place.
Why is the ball on the left stable? Because it has the smallest energy. It is at the lowest of all possible positions, so the gravitational potential energy is the smallest. Once it is perturbed, it can only be perturbed to a place with a higher gravitational potential energy, because there is no place with a lower gravitational potential energy than its current position. In this way, as soon as external interference is removed, the ball will automatically return to its original equilibrium position under the action of gravity, so we say it is stable. It does not require any external energy and relies solely on its own gravity to stay in its current position.
The ball on the right is unstable, and a little bit of trouble can make it unstoppable. From left to right, it took a lot of hard work to get to where it is now. In order to maintain such a position, it must continuously input external energy to resist any possible disturbance. In other words, it must be prepared and keep fighting, otherwise it will slip from this position.
What do I want to say? What does this have to do with whether people like stability or not?
If you feel that you are “stable” and can maintain your current position without any effort, it is because you are in a state of “minimum energy”. If you don’t work hard, you won’t fall, and there will be no consequences. That’s not because you won’t fall, but because you have reached an extremely low point, and there is no lower place nearby to fall to.
Maybe you will say, how could this happen? I am better than many people and cannot be at the lowest point. Yes, that’s why I said “extremely low”, not “rock bottom”.
“All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Maybe your extreme lows are higher than many people’s extreme highs. Maybe you don’t realize that what you were born with may be what others are struggling to pursue. Maybe you will understand that what you are trying to catch up with is just the starting point for others.
I am not an advocate of “successful learning”, and I don’t think “climbing up” is necessarily good. I don’t think the saying “people go to higher places, water flows to lower places” is reasonable.
I just feel that this kind of “stability” is an invisible cage and a constraint. Even if you want to go out and have a look, sometimes you will be crushed by your own gravity and pull yourself back to the original position.
“Stable” means losing the possibility of change, whether the change is good or bad. “Stability” is good because it eliminates the possibility of getting worse; but “stability” also has disadvantages because it also blocks the possibility of getting better. Whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or the disadvantages outweigh the advantages is something you need to weigh yourself.
I personally feel that the road of life is so wide and there are so many possibilities. Constraining yourself intentionally or unintentionally to this low basin of “stability” is more or less like sitting in a well and looking at the sky. Walk more, see more, lift up the sail to see the real sea, even if it requires a lot of effort, even if there is a possibility of encountering a storm, it is better than lying comfortably in a “stable” haven.
When one day you overcome the shackles of “stability”, overcome your own laziness and inertia, and after a hard fight, you finally stand at the extremely high point of instability. Maybe you will feel that the rest of your life is a smooth road.
But life is not two-dimensional. There are too many problems you have to face.
Maybe you will find that the peak in one direction is just the valley in another direction. The road ahead is still too long.
Finally one day, you will find that this is what real life is like. Ups and downs, twists and turns, sometimes falling into the bottom of the valley, sometimes being in darkness.
Knowing the reality of life, but still willing to step out of the “stable” little oasis and embark on the thorny but picturesque road, I think this is true bravery and optimism.
Leave a Reply