Stay hungry stay foolish

“There is no genius without a dose of madness”

Aristotle says.

“Stay hungry stay foolish”, said Steve Jobs,

or the Faustian art of staying alive

Who among us does not bring into the memory of the words of Steve Jobs, “Stay hungry stay foolish“?

Both for those who hate it, and for those who love it like me, this sentence will be etched as a milestone. To me “Stay hungry stay foolish” is familiar, a way of life that has no alternative, I believe that every artist knows it, and to hear it from someone who has founded a business empire and has revolutionized the world of computing has been comforting. Being hungry and foolish is a phrase that combines the aphorism aristotele, so “there is no genius without a dose of madness”, the concept of genius and recklessness, with the full-time job is to stay alive, the taste a little Faustian.

Faust says to Mephistopheles:

Faust: If ever I lie, appeased, on a bed of idleness, is, for me, right over! If you, the illusion falsely with me, so that I may take pleasure me, if you give me seduce you with pleasures, what is the last day for me! This bet on me!

Mephistopheles: I accept!

Faust: And here a handshake! If I say to the moment stopped, therefore, you’re so beautiful, then you can throw me in chains, then I’ll go willingly into disrepair. Then the bell could sound the death knell, then you will be released from your service. It stops the clock and drop the needle and is finished for me, my time.

Among the wager between Faust and Mephistopheles is based on deep knowledge of the human soul on the illusion of the first and second. Faust knows that nothing can quench your own soul, nothing will give such a deep, complete satisfaction for him to say: “Moment, stopped’re so beautiful.” Mephistopheles will tempt him, in every way, but Faust knows that the human soul yearning brings a dissatisfaction that nothing can quench a thirst that never finds true refreshment, the human soul is a stretch to infinity. Faust with his pact commits himself to remain live.

I find that this bet is the other side of the coin the phrase of Steve Jobs, and the aphorism of Aristotle. While not all are geniuses, but all can engage in the work of staying alive and hungry. How? My question is how can you avoid? I have never found anything that was of such a satisfaction for me to unpack and say here, I am here to stay. Even when life is stable, the house is finally in place since the last move, here is passing the first gust of wind, I start to feel the urge to wake up, stretch the soul, it’s time to start again, life is me calling, I neither want to sit down. The temptation of stability, convenience of what I have, it is never stronger than the North Wind, who calls me to do again suitcases. New adventures await me. I know that if I ever find a moment so nice to say stop, it would be like Faust, my order:

“Stay hungry, stay foolish” ….