Definition - in philosophy and life: the biggest obstacle in the way of your success?

Even I have to recognise the great value which definition provides us in our communication and understanding. I think that my past and present education in philosophy wouldn’t allow me to think otherwise. It is at the core of all discussion, arguments and knowledge in general. Without the definition of the relevant terms, future-defining conferences would be of no use and ground-breaking academic studies and theories would be interpreted in various, and most likely inaccurate ways. So in the communicative, theoretical sphere of our world, definitions are vital. However, when applied to ourselves as individuals, I want to not only say that they have no value, but that they are detrimental.

I suppose I am in a transformative phase, shifting from an institutionalised self to one which I am now more purposefully choosing. At times, ridiculously exciting. Mostly, terrifying for my A-type personality. But, I’m strongly encouraging myself to get used to this idea of constant change, since I think that it is the most beneficial thing we can do. In this slow process towards accepting change, I have come to realise that I am no longer encouraging stress and anxiety. Knowing that we are all in constant flux has allowed me to see by my ability to no longer be defined my past failures as well as the inevitable future ones. We are far more fluid than we realise, which gets me back to definition, and specifically self-definition.

I am now trying my best to not define myself. We live in a world of labels, which in my point of view, are only limiting. And this includes the idea of ‘redefining’ myself. It once again encourages the idea of permanence. This has changed the way I see myself and my ability to succeed, my first example being my physical health. When I no longer defined myself as chubby and unfit, I saw my potential. In fact, I have just returned from a beautiful trail run. I am using our innate capacity for change to free myself and I have come to realise one thing: our biggest fear is permanence. We don't fear stressful or saddening life events, we fear the permanent effect which they would have on our lives. We don’t fear a bad mood or a temporary pain, but we fear the effects which physical or mental illness would have on our happiness and success.

I realised this distinction between temporary and permanent and have used the focus on the fluidity of my self to no longer allow fear to control my life. I am certainly not condoning risky behaviour, but I am saying that there is great value and freedom to be found in not defining your self and understanding the impermanence of many things in life. You are always changing so use this to your advantage. Allow it to lead to an open, encouraging and maybe somewhat care-free attitude to life. Believe me, it’s a worthwhile investment in yourself and your future.