I mean Negative Capability, that is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason
John Keats
I wander in a sea of uncertainties, and bathe myself in the unfathomable mysteries of the cosmos.
My mind begs for answers, for direction, for a solid ground to stand on. But my heart, pleads for me to stay on course. To venture onto the pathless path.
Inspired by the work of Shakespeare, the esteemed English poet John Keats coined the term ‘negative capability’ to describe the embrace of the unknown. It speaks to the idea of withholding judgement, and refraining from our desire to seek immediate answers. Negative capability requires one to cultivate a degree of attentiveness towards the world. To let go of our grip, our control, and open up our arms to beauty, grace and truth.
Our rational thinking mind turns off as we connect more deeply with our intuition, the deeper experiences of our life.
As we step into the mystery, novel possibilities unfold. Creativity emerges giving birth to new ways of being. The lenses that we have previously used to interpret the world become obsolete. The chains that held us back, our fears and self-doubt, break apart.
We can begin anew.
For what is a human being but a bridge between who they are and what they can be.
A stream of potentialities.
If you are interested in more of my writing , you can check out my personal blog : A Life of Virtue: Philosophy as a Way of Life – In Search of Inner Freedom
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Thank you for sharing this great post, Andrew. Indeed, when we let go of who we “think” we are, we are able to recognize our inherent Greatness; we knowingly remember that we are “That.” 🙏
Letting go of control is such a hard thing to do but I love the siren’s call you’ve penned here to guide us to the deep, mystery of life and potential. Thank you, Andrew!
“I wander in a sea of uncertainties, and bathe myself in the unfathomable mysteries of the cosmos.
“My mind begs for answers, for direction, for a solid ground to stand on. But my heart, pleads for me to stay on course. To venture onto the pathless path.”
It’s as if you wrote this for me this morning. What a treasure this post is. Venturing onto the pathless path — despite the critical voices of one’s own overthinking, and of others whose expectations amplify disapproval — is not easy. But it is key to a joyful life.
Thank you for this.
Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it:) Have a wonderful day:)
Was it you where I got this: I think it was Freud who, when asked what mental health is, reluctantly answered: encountering ambivalence.
I believe something along those lines, the article I linked in the post speaks about Freud and the idea of negative capability
As a longtime wanderer in the Sea of Uncertainty myself, I noticed that when I finally embraced it, my creativity and enjoyment of life did indeed increase. Smarter people than I realized that the more you know, the less you know you know. But that just increases my appetite for, and enjoyment of searching. The fun is in the searching, not the knowing, in my opinion.
Great post.
Thoughtful and beautifully written post. Thank you for sharing Andrew.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it:)