We live with a fallacy, a major flaw in our thinking. Somehow, we never realise it.

The past week, while having a casual chat with my wife during a beach getaway, a random conversation turned me towards exploring this thought.

As it turns out, we were playing with the waves, having fun on the sand. Every time we tried to leave our imprints, the waves washed them away.

Not just us but for all the people around us. And for all the little sea and sand animal life. The waves disregarded everything that came in its way and swept it away.

As I reflected on our chat and the observations on the beach, it occurred to me that our lives are very similar.

We start with some notion. Or some idea. It turns into a belief or opinion in some time. We stay with it then for years of maybe even our entire life.

Irrespective of whether the belief or the opinion matters or not. Or if it stands to reason or not.

Just because we hold it!

We disregard others’ beliefs and opinions. We call out something when we see it doesn’t make sense. But we don’t look at our own case closely enough.

As if, we can only see beyond where we are and not at what we do ourselves.

We believe that we are etching those beliefs and opinions in time. It is like an extension of our personality. What we forget is that time and space erase them, and render the slate clean.

This is the fallacy I am talking about.

Believing that we are leaving an imprint, when at best we can leave just a memory of a footprint. One that was swept away by the next tide.

Perhaps we should just hope that the memory remains. With those for whom it really matters…