The Ant

Ants always appear busy, purposeful, and intent on their tasks. Yet if you were to track a single ant, its path would likely seem chaotic, even anxious. Where is it going? Why? For whom? Its intention remains obscured. The ant must have a home base, a centre from which its movements arise, but this is not always obvious.

Perhaps our own lives resemble the ant’s more than we wish to admit. We chase consumeristic and capitalist milestones in frenzied, looping patterns that may not lead very far, but still give us a sense of busyness and purpose. The ant, however, is never alone in its efforts—it belongs to its community.

Humans, unlike ants, frame their actions intellectually, through the lens of perceived agency. Yet our agency is not purely rational: it is intuitive, non-linear, and often nonsensical. What matters most is the source—the “home base” from which our actions arise. For us, this base may be our values, beliefs, and attitudes.

The deeper question, then, is not Where are you going? or What are you doing? These will always remain somewhat mysterious, despite our best intentions. The more grounding question is: What values drive your life? For even in a life that appears chaotic and difficult to plot, it is our values that offer direction, stability, and knowing.

Until next time,

Dr. Mon xx