Life is Not an Equation, and That’s Why It’s Beautiful (and Confusing)

We all know, Pythagoras, the philosopher famous for triangles and that one math formula we all had to memorize in school. He once said, “God built the universe on numbers.” Sure, numbers are everywhere: in nature, in music, even in how your coffee machine brews the perfect cup (hopefully). 

Numbers are constant, precise, and logical. But let's be real life is anything but constant, precise, or logical. Life is a hot mess of decisions, emotions, and “Wait, what am I doing again?” The funny thing is, as much as Pythagoras loved his numbers, life doesn’t come with a neat formula like (Hypotenuse)^2 = (base)^2 + (perpendicular)^2. Imagine how easy that would be! You could plug your choices into some life-equation and—boom! —out pops the right decision every time. 

But no, life has to throw in a bit of chaos, and suddenly you're standing in the grocery store wondering, “Should I get the organic tomato or save a few bucks on the regular one?” The truth is life is full of variability. One moment you think you’ve got everything figured out, and the next, you're spiraling into existential doubt over whether to watch another episode of that show or finally start that project. (Spoiler: I’m definitely watching the show.) 

 Unlike numbers, we humans are all about choices, and those choices. They’re messy. There’s no definitive answer for most of them, and that’s where the confusion kicks in. Should I take this job? Should I move to a new city? Should I try that weird flavor of ice cream that’s staring me down from the freezer aisle?

 Every day, we’re faced with choices big and small, and let’s be honest, sometimes the small ones are the hardest. Like when you’re standing in front of a menu with 50 options and somehow, none of them seem quite right. And you know what? That’s okay. Because, unlike numbers, we’re allowed to be inconsistent, confused, and indecisive. Numbers are constant, but people? We’re gloriously variable. One day you wake up craving adventure, and the next, all you want is to curl up in bed with a warm blanket and zero obligations. 

 And the best part? Even when we make the “wrong” choice, we learn something from it. Numbers don’t do that. 2 + 2 will always equal 4, but if you choose the wrong job, or city, or tomato, you’ll come out the other side with a story, an experience, or at the very least, an appreciation for next time. So, let’s embrace the chaos, the confusion, the indecision. Pythagoras might have loved his numbers, but even he couldn’t have predicted how beautifully unpredictable life would turn out to be.