We may be a little later than most places, but in Texas it’s starting to get chilly. Every year, when this begins to happen, it draws the mind to a grey place. Darkness, quiet, soup, clothing layers, fireplaces, snowmen, but mostly the cold. As the cold becomes more harsh, it makes me ponder the fact that ‘the cold’ is really only a figment of construct. ‘Cold’ is only a term we use to describe relatively low temperatures. It depends solely on the antithetically very real quality of heat.

Such things as cold, like darkness, the quiet, white, vacuum, etc. are sometimes referred to as privatives. A great use of them in context is this Einsteinian myth. In a brute fell swoop, privatives simply represent things that aren’t real. The concept is often only discussed in philosophical and linguistic cohorts, but I think I’m able to thread a slightly different and more relatable needle.

Aiming at a parallel, early in recorded human history, there was a teacher by the name of Quintilian who believed that what is not written in literature is just as important as what is written. This anti-privative approach to written works saves the reader from unnecessary details and allows for communication that’s clear and effective. While we would certainly be at a loss without words like ‘cold’, ‘quiet’, and ‘evil’, an observation of more concrete privatives will reveal how we participate in a lifestyle of excess with marginal optimization (at best) to show for it.

This concept of lack, negatives, privatives doesn’t need only apply to science, philosophy or literature. When we’re faced with problems or even just slight discomforts in the modern world, we seek out a remedy of supplement. It’s another Kitchen Aid accessory, the newest colorway of Stanleys, the fashionista clothing box subscription, the latest ‘protein’ snack, your very own in-home cold plunge, the fitness smart watch that tracks your turd shape and size. Sure, these things can have a place in our life, but there’s a good chance that supplements in excess are actually detracting from your quality of life as a whole. As with any endeavor of value be it fitness, career, school, parenting, sports, mental health, etc., the variables that will move the needle 90% of the way are the actual disciplines of the thing that you’re doing. Not the supplement. You’ve heard “less is more” but have probably never understood it. Everything you do, every decision you make, every step you take is a trade off in some respect. Whatever you do in any moment is a sacrifice to all of the things you could be doing otherwise. But, if you can eliminate the supplements, wipe your slate clean, start over, you’ll gift yourself the opportunity to do life at a high level because there’s nothing to sift through to get to the issue at hand. I’ll leave you with this bombshell because it’s a conversation for another day, but anxiety is the most dangerous privative of all. Eliminate the privatives in your life.