Why Everything Falls Apart and How to Fix It
Hint: We’ve got the 2nd law of thermodynamics at play
It’s inexorable. Pounding down on you like some alien force. Eroding everything around you. It’s weakening your joints, your bones, your spirit. It’s attacking your very core, your thoughts, and your self-image.
It’s not a monster you can shove under the bed or a career problem that can be solved by working harder. It can’t be ‘hacked’. It can’t be bought. It’s not a space-alien that can be welcomed and befriended although it is present throughout the universe.
It’s entropy.
What the hell is entropy?
Entropy is the natural tendency of everything to devolve into disorder and chaos. Stuff gets worse. And it happens on its own. It’s just the universe at play.
The more complicated a system is, the quicker it will break down. Simpler systems last longer.
Imagine: You’ve built a many-towered sandcastle on the beach. It looks beautiful but the second you stop dumping and molding sand into towers, the castle begins to fall apart. The wind hits it. The tide creeps in. Crabs scurry over, and around, knocking down turrets.
Soon, it is just another bump of sand on the beach. It has gone from an organized, planned system, to a disorganized mess.
That’s entropy.
But why the hell should you care about entropy?
Well, right now, as you sit and read, while sipping your coffee, before you’ve started your day, entropy is at work. Beating down upon you. It’s the death of a thousand cuts.
Understand that you are an operating system. A complicated one. The miracle of your body and your mind is unmatched in many ways. Physically, you are one system stacked upon another system all interdependent. Our cells, and organs, and cognitive processes are all connected.
It’s a lot of moving parts.
The more complicated the system, the quicker it will turn to chaos.All systems need energy to remain orderly. Energy in our lives is a form of effort. Effort is the needed input and takes many forms. It is easy to detect this on a physical level. We need to eat a healthy diet. We need sound sleep. We need exercise.
Food is fuel for your biological system. Healthy food creates energy to fight against entropy. Poor diets confuse our systems and cause breaks in the connectedness of our bodies.
Sleep allows our bodies to repair themselves. It repairs our cells. Restores our connectedness.
Exercise strengthens us. It creates energy.
Imagine: You are a helium-filled balloon, floating majestically across the sky. The wind tugs at you. Moves you from place to place. The sun beats down changing the very color of your skin. You bump into things. Get scrapped. Rain pushes you down to the ground. Helium begins to leak out. You sink lower. You are no longer able to fly high. You need more helium. You need energy. Or you sink to the ground becoming a lifeless splat of plastic.
Think of your food, and your sleep, and your exercise as energy. Nothing gets better without applied energy. Nothing even stays the same without effort. There is no status quo.
How is entropy affecting your life?
It can be easy to see how entropy wears down our bodies. It’s sensory. We feel it and see it and experience it. But we are more than our physical self. We have thoughts and emotions. We dream. We surround ourselves with systems to survive and thrive in our modern world. Entropy is hammering away at each and every system we develop.
Personal Finances: Maybe you sit down on a monthly basis with your loved ones and review your budget, your expenses, and your investments. If not, start. A review is energy in. But markets shift. Investment vehicles are invented or killed or are no longer viable. Inflation occurs. Laws change. Taxes go up. It takes a focus and effort to continue to grow and manage your financial system.
Home: All physical assets deteriorate. Your body, your car, and that new pair of shoes. Your home is a perfect example. You’ll need a new roof. Some fresh paint. Lawn care. And on it goes. Maintenance takes effort.
Relationships: Having a successful relationship with anyone is difficult because it takes work. It takes time spent together. It is sharing experiences that have a meaningful value for all parties. Without effort relationship wither. Entropy reigns.
Your community: Public spaces are the assets of our communities. We have to work to maintain spaces that can be shared and enjoyed by all. Creating and maintaining safe environments are essential. Why? Society is a system humans need to thrive. We’re herd animals. Better together. We need spaces to come together, to work together, to fight the power of entropy on our society, together. Shared spaces take work to maintain regardless of whether it’s the local park, your community center, or your favorite online group.
The sneaky power of entropy on your thoughts and beliefs.
The most dangerous impact of entropy is on our thoughts and beliefs. Our brain processes information, emotions, and cognitive functions. It determines how we perceive the world. As a physical entity our brain is no different than the rest of our body. Feed it. Rest it. And exercise it. But our thoughts are not physical. Our thoughts are spiritual. They lead to action. They lead to discovered interests. They keep us relevant and moving forward.
There is nothing that succumbs to entropy more than a stagnant mindset.
Our societal and individual knowledge is built upon the generations that have come before us. We’ve learned from the successes and the failure of these ancestors. Science has moved us forward. Literature and art and music have given us ways to communicate that transcend mere words. Our ancient stories carry metaphorical truths that can be used today.
These truths are not stagnant. We have changed our environment. We have become more knowledgeable. What was acceptable 100 years ago is often looked at as barbaric today.
Our thoughts and beliefs require energy. Energy comes in the form of study and thought. Lack of energy equals lack of growth. Our belief system will disintegrate into chaos without a constant flood of new ideas. This is pure entropy.
Imagine: You are stranded on a beautiful but isolated tropical island. Coconuts plop down each morning so you have plenty of food. The ocean supplies you with fish and exercise and entertainment. Just off the beach a freshwater spring bubbles up forming a small oasis. You have everything you need to survive on a physical level.
But you don’t have a book with you. No laptop or internet connection. No library or coffee shop or barber shop to talk with friends. You can observe nature, but intellectual pursuits will be confined to your observations only. There will be no outside influence. No new theories or scientific advancements to ponder. No one to question.
Now, imagine you get rescued after 25 years. Your re-introduction to society is difficult. The history you knew is viewed differently. People eat differently, and dress differently, and think differently. They’ve evolved as a society because of collaborative thought. You feel lost.
This is entropy wreaking havoc on your psyche.
It can create a loneliness. Loneliness as a way of thought, not as a feeling. You can feel abandoned. You can feel stranded on your self-imposed island of ideas. Your mind closes. You stop seeking new input but cling to the old. Entropy rages.
The moment you stop questioning and take any ideology as all-encompassing, never-changing, written-in-stone doctrine, you are doomed. And so is society.
‘The Fix’ or how to stop entropy in your life.
Curiosity is a superpower. It is an energy input. Apply curiosity to all.
Your mind actually craves novelty. Novelty is needed to progress. Entropy would have you satiate this need with a quick dopamine pop delivered from your phone. There is a never-ending supply of cheap pleasures available to us today.
They distract.
But curiosity directs. It leads you to a better life. It leads you to a better thought. It’s the spark that turns your potential into passion and perhaps your life’s work.
Curiosity is like that wise old teacher that sees a glimmer of talent in your work and encourages. But you have to follow through and take action. Understand the spark by study. Learn the skill. Study it. Evolve it. This creates energy.
Go beyond curiosity and master your talents. You won’t become a master of everything. You can’t. You don’t have the time. And not everything you find curious, and study, will continue to captivate your imagination but some will. These skills should be taken to the level of mastery.
It’s a love affair. Go deep. You will need to learn new skills to become a master. Apply curiosity to solve these challenges. Want to make it your life’s work? You’ll need to monetize the passion. This is a new challenge with new skills to learn. Its curiosity turned to action.
Entropy cannot be stopped without applied energy. You cannot escape it. Energy is effort. And study. It’s questioning your thoughts.
Ask away. Thoughts don’t survive the test of time intact. They are shaped and formed by the forces of society, by the forces of nature, by your questions.
Entropy never stops. So move. Study. Become a force of nature.
Be curious.
Think About It…
I completed my first e-book. I used a short story I wrote for fun as a learning tool. Next up, I’ll work on some business books. But this is how I learn. I do. I create something. I build it.
And then I do it again until I get it right.
Here is my first effort if anyone would like to see it. Still not 100% on the sharing part. I still need to keep learning.
Let me know what you think.
Next up in the skill learning department is turning the same piece of content into a graphic novel. It’s a form of content that is easily understandable and combines visual and text storytelling. I think it would be a unique method for developing tutorials and business skills. The e-book took longer than I expected so I’m giving myself 30 days to learn and create this.
Do It…
Watch it: Bad Monkey dropped the season finale this week. Sometimes, I’ll wait until all the episodes of a series are out before I tune in. If I like it, I want to watch it now. This one is worth the watch. It’s funny. It’s smart. And it’s
Read it: If you haven’t read any of
Substack writings you’re missing out. They are not easy reads. They will challenge you. But they are brutally honest. You’ll become a better person for reading them. Try this one: The Philosophy of Evil Compels Oppressors to Dehumanize the Vulnerable.Listen to it: I’m not a crazy or non-crazy music person. I just listen to whatever makes me smile. I like the emotion of a live performance. Try this one.
Quote it:
Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing.
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
If you want to check out some great reading list and see which books have influenced, surprised, educated, and entertained me, check out my book shop here. The lists grow monthly and I don’t recommend any books I haven’t personally read. Or use my book recommendation engine and specific author chatbots. Check it out. It’s fun.