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“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” ~F. Scott Fitzgerald
Today’s episode is about a rare kind of peace—the kind that arises not from resolution, but from accepting contradiction and choosing to live within it.
Not by picking sides. Not by attempting to make the tension disappear.
By learning to live with it—curious, present, alive.
I was working with a guy the other day—frustrated, spinning.
First, he says: “Man, I don’t get it… sometimes I’m such an idiot.”
Later, without a blink: “But other times, I feel like a genius.”
“It’s both…”
I assured him with a chuckle, “You’re a genius and you’re an idiot. So am I.”
So are you, dear reader.
Life is fluid, context-dependent, and full of contradiction.
Exhibit A: Elon Musk.
One minute he’s launching rockets into space— the next, he’s firing off a drunk tweet at 2 a.m. and tanking his company’s stock.
Genius? Yes.
Idiot? Yes.
Both.
Yes! 🙌🏻
Western culture has wired us to live in either/or:
Good or bad.
Right or wrong.
Success or failure.
Right wing vs. left wing.
But real life?
Real life is the WHOLE BIRD.
Real life is BOTH/AND.
That’s why The Pressure Paradox™ (2015)—even in its name—centers on this TRUTH:
Pressure isn’t good or bad. It’s BOTH.
It’s fuel and friction.
Same goes for HABIT.
Same goes for YOU.
The who you become is forged within the tension.
The sooner you stop resisting, the more peace you find.
Remember the prior episode?
The Guru Dilemma and, “The best heroes and philosophers are dead.”
Why?
Because they can no longer contradict themselves.
It’s ALL highlight reels—clean, curated, canonized from the grave.
Living?
Messy.
Contradictory.
WHOLE.
Even the Gooroos tend to miss this.
One recently wrote:
“My whole life changed the moment Ram Dass taught me that I am just a speck of sand—not the center of the universe.”
Respectfully...
Guru Dass is only HALF-RIGHT.
YES, you’re a speck of sand.
AND—while you’re alive, breathing, capable—you are the center of YOUR universe.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit habits2goals.substack.com/subscribe
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