Entropy, and Why You Should Chill Out

Entropy.

One of the broader concepts I chose to attach to this platform.

Was it pretentious of me to pick a word I'd have to explain?

Yeah, probably. But I'm going to do it anyway.

Entropy is the thermodynamic concept of how energy is distributed or dispersed in a system. Think of a glass jar filled with gas molecules. Those molecules have energy associated with them. In higher entropy states, that energy is spread out more evenly, with molecules moving freely in many different ways. In lower entropy states, energy is more constrained, and molecular motion becomes more limited.

In the system of society, the world: you are a molecule.

There are levers we can pull to affect the entropic states of our lives. In chemistry and physics, those are typically temperature, pressure, and volume.

In life, entropy is things like your family, your job, romantic relationships, friendships.

They're constantly bouncing around, colliding into each other, and rebounding in different directions.

You can apply or pull back pressure, change your engagement in terms of volume, or turn up or cool off the intensity of temperature on these systems.

Entropy states change. Work becomes slow. Relationships heat up. Friendships wither and die. But it's always in a state of constant flux.

I could relate those levers to actions you can take in your own life, but I think the point is becoming clear as it is:

Your life is entropy. The world is entropy. Thoughts, feelings, love, desire, hate, anger, rage are all functions of increasing or reducing entropy.

And I love this because it isn't a binary. High entropy isn't good, low entropy isn't bad, and neither is completely accurate.

Different systems thrive in different entropic states. It helps me to think of parts of my life in various stages of entropy rather than giving it a specific connotation.

In the end, entropy always wins. So chill out.