The Myth of Icarus Teaches You “Life Is All About Balance”
"There is a bitter triumph in crashing when you should be soaring." -Fiona
A Damning Story
If you have ever fallen upon Greek myths, you will know they have the weirdest storylines, the worst plot twists, and the most gruesome details.
Yet they indirectly teach us stuff about life.
Icarus's tale is the most tragic and romanticised one.
It all starts with Athena's descendant.
Daedalus, an acclaimed sculptor and inventor, lived in ancient Greece. After killing his nephew out of jealousy, he was exiled.
King Minos of Crete (not a promising person) granted him refuge.
Due to Minos’ greed, Aphrodite and Poseidon wanted to punish the guy.
They made his wife, Pasiphae, fall in love with a bull. (Disgusting, I know.) Pasiphae gave birth to the Minotaur, a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man.
The madness continued.
Instead of letting the monster humiliate him, the king made Daedalus build a labyrinth to cage it in. He would send the worst of prisoners here as punishment.
His fearsome reputation spread.
When Theseus (a demigod) came and killed the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, he did so using a claw that Daedalus had given to her. Theseus and Ariadne left Crete together.
Seeing her daughter and the Minotaur slip from his hands, Minos was enraged beyond measure.
He caged Daedalus and made him toil harder, using his son, Icarus (ah, here our character is!) as bait.
Daedalus knew he was going to be executed soon. He was more worried about his son's life than his own.
The genius inventor secretly crafted two pairs of huge wings. When the next time Icarus visited his father, they both attached the wings and took the flight.
Before this, Daedalus had warned Icarus to not fly too close to the sun — for the wax could melt — or too close to the sea — for water would damage them too.
Icarus, full of alacrity, youth, and enthusiasm, got overwhelmed. Forgetting the warning, he tried to reach the sun … and burned his wings in the process, plummeting to his death.
Two Terrific Lessons
This tale can be interpreted in innumerable ways.
Some admire Icarus; others berate him.
Interpretation One: The Common One
Icarus’ fall sheds light on the ill-effects of hubris and recklessness.
Don’t let your ego take the best of you. Stay humble and know your capabilities. In the best and worst of times, don’t act with recklessness. Have patience.
Dwight Longenecker said:
Like Icarus who, flying close to the sun, forgot that his wings were made of wax, we should be wary when triumphant ideas seem unassailable, for then there is all the more reason to predict their downfall.
Interpretation Two: The Insane One
"Never regret thy fall,
O Icarus of the fearless flight
For the greatest tragedy of them all Is never to feel the burning light."- Oscar Wilde
There are two kinds of people.
The second kind wants to achieve crazy glory and live mad experiences at any cost.
They want to burn bright and high before collapsing into a heap of ashes.
So mayhap Icarus lost his life; but for one moment, he did the impossible and created history: The Sun, the sky, and the Gods knew him too.
Some people never get to fly.
Jeremy Robert Johnson said:
Icarus flew too close to the sun, but at least he flew.
My favourite quote ever
It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly.
Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.
Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them…
Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me.― Aldous Huxley
The Balance You Gotta Get
Even though the first interpretation seems boring, it has great implications for your life.
Icarus should not have flown too high or dipped too low. He should have reigned his unfair desires.
The boy couldn’t, and that led to his downfall.
Life is not a simple, straight path that comes to an end. It is loaded with complexities and problems.
The best way out in most cases is to maintain balance in every aspect.
Emotions:
Whenever you are sad, deeply, hurt, or freakishly angered, remember that the moment is not the end of the world.
Whenever you are overjoyed, or extremely, awesomely elated, remember to not get too full of it and be grateful.
Work:
We often get burnt-out working/studying.
This is because we focus on the results more than enjoying the action. We don’t give ourselves breaks and overwork, not realising our capabilities.
On the other hand, we also have to be wary of procrastinating and wasting time.
Pain:
No pain leads to selfishness. Excess of it can traumatise you.
The right amount of struggling, as life coach Mark Manson says, allows us to feel a sense of accomplishment and meaning in our lives, which then builds up our sense of autonomy and self-worth—the bedrock of a mentally healthy and happy person.
There are several other examples. But know this:
Everything passes; the river of life flows on. Stay in the middle ground to get the best out of life. Yet, having a tinge of madness can be fulfilling.
The balance — it is a thin line, but whoever can waltz on it, will win.
An Interesting History Fact About Soft Toys
I think you will agree with me when I say that soft toys are one of the best things.
They give you an open shoulder to shed your tears on without any judgemental remarks. Whenever you felt lonely or scared, you can take a tight hug and feel better instantly.
Do you wonder who thought of making them first?
The person was Margarete Steiff, and she had a horrible childhood.
Due to paralysis from polio, Steiff couldn’t walk or use her right arm.
Living in nineteenth-century Germany, she suffered terrible abuse and neglect from society (and even her own mother — imagine!) due to her disability.
For example, once, when she and her brother were drowning, the townspeople only saved her brother.
Why ‘Game of Thrones’ Sold Massively and Is Loved Worldwide
The success of Game of Thrones, both in books and series, is overwhelming.
George R. R. Martin gave birth to a franchise that won’t be forgotten any time soon. ASoIaF books have sold over 90 million copies worldwide.
Have you ever, as a writer, wondered what makes them so special?
After reading and analyzing the books thoroughly (I haven’t watched the series), here are the much-awaited results.
Tip 1: Be unpredictable and shocking
In an era where tropes are being copied blatantly, Martin did something special and bent everything that we expected from a royalty-based fantasy.
He remade the popular tropes. The trick worked.
The kind queen became evil and selfish. The wise king turned into a lousy head. The neglected child turned out to be not someone who understood pain, but one who willingly gave it.
The person who everyone wanted to live in the first book died.
What on Earth was happening?
Book Rec—’1984' by George Orwell
What if the government could track your every moment? What if any resistance or joke against the leader was met with excruciating torture?
What if there was an attempt to curb human instincts like love and thinking?
George Orwell wrote of a future where a global despotic power controlled the people of Oceania with surveillance and propaganda.
The technology we embrace wholeheartedly? It had turned against the protagonists and the world.
We follow the journey of possibly the only person not brainwashed by the baddies.
The atmosphere of fear met me when I flipped open the book. Big Brother’s eyes followed Winston Smith everywhere. To his office, to the café, to his room.
Smith noticed the discrepancies in the system; he knew the people were being wronged; he wanted to wake the plebs for a good rebellion.
But he was as helpless as a fish trying to climb a tree.
Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.
—1984
Small actions performed out of their love of them like writing a diary and keeping possessions just for their aesthetic sense were considered insane.
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
The slogans of the Ministry of Truth slowly proved to be true, however idiotic they seemed.
Making love for the heck of it, enjoying the beauty of life, and using luxuries when you weren’t entitled to them — these acts were a rebellion against the government’s ideology, Ingsoc (English Socialism).
I live in a free, democratic country; Orwell’s tour de force made me feel grateful for it.
With political satire and totalitarian regimes deconstructed, you’d find this read exciting and inciting at the same time.