18th July 2025
I remember, I read somewhere that we spend the 1st half of our lives adding things, and the 2nd half subtracting most of them.
As I cross another year, I realize that the answer to most of our problems is indeed found in subtraction, not addition.
Bruce Lee got it dead right when he said –“It is not daily increase but daily decrease, hack away the unessential”.
There is, in fact, a term for such a subtractive process. It’s called Via Negativa, which is a Latin phrase used in Christian theology to explain a way of describing God by focusing on what he is not, rather than what he is.
Even as per some theories in Hinduism, the word “Shiva” means literally, “that which is not.”
Nassim Taleb has a chapter in his fascinating book “Antifragile” on this topic of “Via Negativa.”
Therein, he argues that the solution to many problems in life is by removing things, not adding things. Like, avoiding the doctor for minor illnesses or removing certain food from one’s diet to improve health.
Taleb writes, “I would add that, in my own experience, a considerable jump in my personal health has been achieved by removing offensive irritants: the morning newspapers, the daily commute, air-conditioning, television, emails from documentary filmmakers, economic forecasts, news about the stock market, gym, strength training machines & many more.”
Steve Jobs would agree with the concept of Via Negativa too, given what he once said, “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.”
And Charlie Munger too said, “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
Looking back at my life over the past few years, Via Negativa is one of the most critical lessons I have learnt & practiced, and that has helped me simplify my life considerably & brought me tremendous peace.
So right from blame game, news,
and toxic people,
and anxiety,
and worried sleeping,
and fear, and self-doubt,
and the need to be liked,
and victim’s mentality,
and fear of failure,
and perfectionism,
and multitasking,
and the need to control everything, and saying yes often;
Removing all this, it seems, has brought me a really long way in this journey.
I am still far from good & that’s fine, for I have something to work on for the next few years that I may have left.
In the story of this life, I’m sure there still are many chapters – happy and sad – to be unveiled, many new characters – good and bad – to be met,
and many new lessons – right and wrong – to be learnt.
These, I look forward to with open heart and arms.
Before I close, I am reminded of what Courtney Peppernell wrote in her nice book titled “Pillow Thoughts” –
“You can’t skip chapters, that’s not how life works.
You have to read every line, meet every character.
You won’t enjoy all of it.
Hell, some chapters will make you cry for weeks.
You will read things you don’t want to read,
you will have moments when you don’t want the pages to end.
But you have to keep going.
Stories keep the world evolving.
Live yours, don’t miss out.”
As I look back at the past years, I have run into quite a few bumps and climbed over a few mountains. And who hasn’t?
But the fact that I have survived to tell you the tale makes me realize how lucky I am to be here, right now, writing these words.
And how grateful I should be, every waking moment, for this miracle called “life.”
Thank you God for this wonderful life and the wonderful people to share life with!
Thank you for being a part of my wonderful journey.
Stay Blessed Forever.