There are two different ways to achieve comfort. Comfort is one, if not the prime value of utility or satisfaction, and so it is wise to study ways to achieve this comfort. The first way is external (and by deduction, the second way is internal, obviously).

Striving for comfort by external means has become the standard approach. Typically, the means are sought in the market. Comfort is bought. Buying is expensive and this is why people still work so hard to achieve it. Furthermore, purchasing is not the most efficient means of achieving all kinds of comfort. Yes, I can buy a mattress that will make me more comfortable, but no, buying an oversized vehicle to make up for a small ***i* will only go so far.

By the way ***i* stands for brain 😀

Internal means are somehow old, ancient, or wise. I believe such are far superior to external means. With a high tolerance for discomfort, discomfort becomes comfortable. This I do not try to make things lighter or easier so I can engage them comfortably. Rather I make things heavier and harder so that normal becomes easy and impossible becomes merely challenging. The internal way moves the zero-point that evaluates whether something is comfortable.

For anyone that seeks comfort externally, anything outside of the optimal range will feel uncomfortable. Anyone that seeks comfort internally, the comfortable range will be much wider.

Originally posted 2009-07-12 21:59:51.