The synonyms for inertia are numerous in the dictionary -- inertness, indisposition to motion, exertion, or action, want of energy and sluggishness. In common parlance, we often find it manifested in Isaac Newton's fundamental laws that govern physical motion on earth. Transcending this, however, is the concept of inertia in our lives -- and this crucial facet of life often remains unexamined.
This law, in its essence, states that human will and endeavor is constricted by a sedentary tendency that can be, at times, crippling.
Allow me to furnish an illustration. I was recently planning a trip to Europe during winter break. My friend and I were full of enthusiasm -- it would be cold, but it would be the cheaper season to see Europe; we could have traveled the way that we wanted, unfettered by any pre-planned tour schedule. We did a fair amount of research and totaled up the costs on a legal pad: plane ticket to Heathrow, another flight to Italy and finally a Eurorail pass to travel between countries. Putting our planning off for a night, we lost the opportunity to procure cheaper airfares. And finally, despite all the huffing and puffing, nothing happened. And, as you might have guessed, inertia led me to take the easier path -- book a plane ticket home through a simple click of the mouse button.
Sometimes I can't help but wonder how my winter break would have been had I overcome inertia and gone to Europe. The corollary of this, of course, is to suggest that regret is always part of any equation that involves the inertia of life.
Perhaps an example in our common experience will drive home my point. At Dartmouth's recent convocation, I must confess that I was seriously thinking of leaving Leede Arena during the initial proceedings. My friends and I agreed in unison that there seemed nothing of value save the sight of the faculty marching in with their gowns. Thankfully, David Shipley's excellent speech and President Wright's lengthy address pulled convocation out of the doldrums. Indeed, when reduced to their essence, they both perfectly accentuated the law of the inertia of life.
Listening to David Shipley's account of his life experience, I wondered how he managed to overcome his own personal inertia to attend small conferences in Russia with Aleksandr Yakovlev -- his in the form of the effort he invested in venturing into his own personal unknown. President Wright's speech, in essence, urged us to take the risks and overcome the inertia that represents an obstacle in interracial friendships. Dare I wish that someday, when I look back on my life, I will be able to say that, like David Shipley, in my life I took some risks and managed to accomplish some extraordinary tasks that had a profound influence on the people around me? On a fundamental level, will I be able to say that I overcame my own personal inertia and managed to something worthwhile that I can look back with pride upon?
That question haunts me -- I wonder how many of us will muster up the inner courage and step into an unfamiliar darkness devoid of safety nets and navigating ropes. This question encompasses numerous spheres of our lives: academic endeavor, physical achievement and even personal introspection of the skeletons in our own closets. For me, this effort translates into so many things -- will I take the trouble to read books that will not directly influence my performance in the classroom? In my future assignments as a lieutenant, will I take the trouble to get to know my men better in order to foster a sense of spirit within the platoon? Am I going to take the initiative to sacrifice a big part of my time to bring my idea for a new student group before the Council On Student Organizations?
Of course, we could all congregate together and share the schadenfreude that arises from those around us who try and spectacularly fail. We could sit back and laugh at the fools with the heart to try. Indeed, we could all remain in our shells, nestled in our comfort zones, never seeking to challenge the environment and circumstances in which we find ourselves. To consciously avoid that risk and that concerted effort in our daily lives would produce a sort of convoluted happiness. The trade-off, then, would be the ever-elusive greater sense of achievement and satisfaction.
As a personal endeavor, I'm determined that each day is going to be a concerted effort in trying to overcome this inertia in my life. If inertia has overrun your life, carpe diem! Exercise your initiative to take it back -- for if we fail to do so, regret might very well be the overwhelming dominant feeling that accompanies any introspection vis--vis our lives.
