As our outer beauty fades
transcend into inner beauty
our looks become
the way we look
at the world
with compassion
and a smile of wisdom
Tjen Art - Wisdom (detail), 2017
Transcending addresses in a few words one of the most challenging phases of our personal growth and evolvement. Our lives can generally be divided into two cycles, an outward focused cycle of worldly, physical growth, inevitably followed by an inward focused cycle of mental growth and wisdom. The transition between these two cycles demands consciousness to know when and how to the transcend the lure of continuing to want more, stronger, higher, and to avoid going off tangent by remaining stuck in an endless avaricious chase.
The first cycle is predominantly physcial, self-centered, focused on doing and aggregation (of power, wealth, status and recognition). In this phase, there is a fast succession of corporeal peaks. A human has its sexual peak at 18, while problem solving capacity is at its maximum at age 19 (closely timed, but uncorrelated events). Endurance peaks at 22, when you can reach your highest heart rate en therefore oxygen intake. Memory only reaches maximum performance at age 28. Muscle mass and consequently physical strength reaches its maximum capacity at age 30 and this plateau can be maintained until about 40 years of age. The psychological optimum point between youthful flexibility and experience based judgment occurs at 32. This is an ideal age for developing and managing relationships as personal egos are likely to finally get under control. The next milestone is when brain cells peak at the age of 45 and after which these start to decline[1].
The second cycle uses the momentum gained from the previous phase and adds another dimension of personal growth. This is when wisdom is added to knowledge, understanding complements perception, intuition completes reason. The biggest trap is not seeing this transition opportunity for subtle mental enrichment rising in priority over and above physical advancement. It is important to see this second cycle as accretive to life, as a gentle growth process and not as switching course. However, missing to see this opportunity over time may create a caricature of your former self. After all, how much material wealth is enough? How much power and influence satisfies? How high do you wish to climb before you achieve your goal? The point is, it is never enough, the goals keep moving, ‘more’ becomes a goal in replacement of objective targets (see also ‘The illusionary future’). This is where the risk of going off tangent sets in.
Enabling the transcendence of avariciousness to wisdom is switching focus from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. Who we are for others becomes more important than what we do. We will loose our looks, but what we will have gained is our look at the world and beyond. Sharing this is generosity. You know that you are transcending when compassion illuminates your wisdom and you smile with you heart.
Tjen Art - Hope, 2017
Tjen Art - Wisdom, 2017
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[1] Many factors influence the duration of the plateau of physical performance and the rate of decline