The long goodbye

The hallmark of the human is his desire for continuousness. And his performative grief when that balloon pops.

Impatience

Impatience is an intolerance of what is spurred by a desire for what isn’t. The man who is chronically impatient lives with the talons of “What’s next?” sunk deep into his upper back.

Rules of conduct

No swearing. No spitting. Also: Don’t want anything. And don’t fear anything.

Under the influence

Consumer culture proclaims that happiness is having things and doing things. The advertising industry has from the dawn of its existence parked its considerable haunches on this belief. But having things and doing things is the opposite of happiness. True happiness has no reason.

Desire

One by one, dump your desires. Yes, all of them. Start small—say, with a desire for potato chips—and then move up from there, even as far as sugar and sex and possessions. After a couple of successful relinquishments, you’ll find it gets easier and easier to let go of these mind-made confinements. And even, strange to say, a bit thrilling. Because ultimately you arrive at your heart’s desire, the one that necessitated the sweeping away of all the others.