“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” – Heraclitus (Greek Philosopher, 544BC)
It’s an interesting thought isn’t it?
The river’s always flowing. Different colors, different winds, different temperature, different flow. Same river, but different conditions.
Same human, but different nonetheless. Better swimmer maybe. Certainly older, maybe enfeebled. Fearful or fearless depending upon previous experience. Any number of changing circumstances makes it not the same person.
But we cling to methods and procedures. We do it one time with some success. We tend to want to do it the same way the next time even though things have changed.
There’s an efficiency of deciding what a situation is and applying proven methods to it. It makes life easier to navigate. So, it’s no surprise that we tend to treat it like the same river.
But, there’s wisdom toward remembering that the man and river change. That those changes can call for adjustment. Further, that some changes will require a new approach.
It’s up to the “different” man to adjust to the “different” river. Be careful and alert. Don’t plunge every time.
