A Thought Experiment: ‘What If Nothing Ever Changed?’
It sounds grim, but asking yourself the question can be liberating
When X, then Y. When X, then Y. When X, then Y. We repeat this formula ad nauseam.
“When he’s impeached, I’ll stop doomscrolling.”
“When the kids go back to school, I’ll finally focus on this creative project.”
“When I’m able to see my friends in person, I’ll stop feeling so isolated.”
We spend a lot of time dreaming about the arrival of some specific future that would surely, definitely change everything for us… won’t it? During the Trump era, I kept imagining the day he was out of office so that things could finally begin to shift in my life. But as I waited in discontent, I was struck by a thought experiment: What if nothing ever changed?
I know this sounds a little depressing, but stick with me. I promise you that asking yourself this question can be as life-affirming for you as it was for me.
What if nothing in your life ever changed from this exact moment?
What if you always had this job?
What if you always had this body at its exact shape and weight?
