On Important Things

"Importance" of things usually comes from two different sources - our individual interests and the norms and expectations imposed by the society we live in.

Our individual interests are also often influenced by the society, and if you don't want to follow the crowd all your life, you'd better separate the two.

Therefore, whenever someone says me that something is "important", I remember a Russian joke involving popular Soviet cartoon characters: the monkey, the python, the parrot, and the elephant.

Elephant: Do you know what is the most important thing in a tank?

Monkey: The gun!

Elephant: Yes, the gun is important, but it is not the most important thing!

Parrot: The armor!

Elephant: Yes, the armor is important, but it is not the most important!

Python: The caterpillars!

Elephant: Yes, the caterpillars are important, but it is not the most important thing! The most important thing in a tank is not to shit your pants!