I was watching the new series Young Sherlock a few nights ago. In the first episode, Sherlock says the line: “The fundamental fault of man is to think the enemy is external, not internal.”
It sounds like a quote, though I cannot find its exact origin. Either way, its message is rooted deep in philosophy and stoicism. It conveys the idea that we are our own worst enemies, and if we can conquer ourselves, we can conquer our lives.
I thought about this line the next day and was curious how true the statement was. Certainly, there is truth in it, but is it actually the most fundamental fault of man? Is there another fault that could be considered truly the main, fundamental fault of man.
Shortly, I was able to find one that I feel is man’s true fundamental fault.
The Fundamental Fault of Man
“The fundamental fault of man is that we know what we must do, but we do not do it.”
Perhaps I connect with this most because I embody it. Focusing my mind to think and my body to act has been a war I’ve fought since adolescence. When I succeed, beautiful things occur. When I fail, nothing is produced.
Procrastination, avoidance, shifting priorities – these are all actions I’ve taken instead of doing what I’ve needed to do.
I’m often clever in how I talk with myself. I can convince myself that the timing isn’t right, my body isn’t healthy, or other activities are better suited for the current moment. It is truly an internal struggle, circling back to Young Sherlock’s quote.
Nowhere is this more evident than how I look at the kind of people I admire. Writers, artists, athletes, creators. These are people who’ve been able to focus their attention. These are people who, at least until a desired outcome is achieved, can do what they must do, whether they feel like it or not.
Moving Forward
It makes the path forward in life painfully obvious. If I can simply do what I know I must do, regardless of emotions or difficulty, I’ll remain headed towards the fulfillment of my goals.
For me, this is writing 1,000 words per day, reading, working out, and studying Japanese. Not excessively. Not all the time. But on a daily, manageable basis.
Even more importantly, it’s understanding that I don’t need to be perfect. I’ll have setbacks. I’ll miss days. But as long as the curve is upward, then we can be considered a success.
Training Log #1
This is my first training log.
With each of these, I’d like to detail all the work I’ve done towards creative writing this week. This is essentially proof of work mixing with accountability.
From 2/28 – 3/6:
Writing
Murder Mystery Short Story (No Title) – 5,880 words
Time: Roughly 3:45 – 4:00 hours of work
Reading
Novels
Kafka on the Shore – Chapters
Shorts
The Man in the Passage – G. K. Chesterton
The Mistake of the Machine – G.K. Chesterton
Takeaway
Certainly not enough reading was completed this week.
I think we did well with our overall writing. I did no editing or revising, though, for this or older projects. This will need to be improved upon moving forward.