79. Embracing Limits

We do not want to be restricted to being merely this or that. We want to be total, complete, unlimited. Any limitation is seen as a flaw, a problem to be overcome. We want to transcend our limits and become so much more than we presently are.

To transcend is to grow and the value of growth is undeniable. When we grow, we extend ourselves beyond what we could do in the past, and gain the ability to create new benefits for ourselves and others. But valuing growth does not mean every limit should be seen as a flaw that diminishes our own value.

Our limitations help define the kind of beings we are. By embracing them, we become more aware of ourselves and of what we are capable of being and becoming. To say “I cannot do this” and accept the bare truth of this assertion is also to accept a part of what it means to be human and the kinds of experiences a human being can have. We are not gods and we are not unlimited in our power. There are things we can do and things we cannot.

That we are necessarily limited in certain ways means there is only so much we can do as individuals. To achieve our full potential, we have to work with others and cooperate on shared projects. We also have to pass on our understanding, ideas, and projects to those who come after us, since our own lifespan is one of the limits we must accept.

By sharing our understanding and experiences, our successors will in all likelihood exceed our limits and find new ones for themselves. And by exceeding our achievements, they will carry on the human project of which we are all a part. The ultimate goals of this project cannot be known, and this is a further limitation we must embrace. This limit means that a wide variety of ideas and activities can be valuable to humanity as a whole. We do not know where we are going, but this is no problem. It is rather an important truth that keeps us humble about what we know and open about what we choose to do.