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I can think, I can wait, I can fast — three skills for a free and happy life
What these words from Herrmann Hesse’s Siddharta mean to me and what they can mean to each of us.
When the merchant Kamaswami asked the young monk Siddharta what he had learned, he answered: I can think, I can wait, I can fast.
Kamaswami wasn’t very impressed. He asked Siddharta what that was good for.
The answer that Siddhartha gave the merchant is known to everyone who has read the book. This article is about what these words have taught me for my life and what they can mean for each one of us.
I can think
Purposeful thinking distinguishes human beings from all other living beings on our planet. Yet not everyone is lucky at thinking.
To do something and to be capable of something are two different things. So is thinking.
The core idea, however, is that we should orient our actions towards thinking, not our feelings or random interests. The thinking that is meant here always has a purpose.
When I pursue a goal, it always starts with thinking. I register my current state, compare it with the desired state, and identify the steps necessary to close this gap. Then I act…
