Why Life is a tragedy when close up but comedy in long shot?
This is a famous quote by Charlie Chaplin. Who is the greatest comedian of the era, where the world had been in chaos battered by wars. It is not difficult to understand the thoughts which lead to above conclusion. Which are the tragedies surrounded his life and prevailed during that time. Disease and death were very common. So yes, life is a tragedy in close up. But why comedy in a long shot? What was he trying to say. To understand you must watch a Charlie Chaplin movie.
Yes, those Black and white still movies capture the normal life of a commoner. He does find it hilarious to work in an assembly line of a factory. Doing the same task everyday hours and hours. So, he shows what will happen if the production line speeds up. He would struggle to keep up wrenching the nuts 😢 he supposed to do. It's both tragic and hilarious at the same time. To me when i look at his quote with a philosophical eye, I do understand that this is a good way to look at life. Maybe there are more examples to near and far views of life. Let's take another mindful journey.
Let's look at a divorce
Let's look at a divorce. I am sure if you have lived long enough in the world you may have experienced divorce in a different capacity. You may have divorced yourself. Or one of your friends. Or in a drama, or you are a divorce lawyer. Now that is tragedy, right? Heated arguments mental trauma, separation of kids and financial loses. Anyone would avoid a divorce if they can live happily ever after like a fairy tale. So, life is tragedy for a divorcing couple. But where is the comedy in it? To see that we need to follow the intuition of Charlie Chaplin. You can do it while on your couch and it is similar to a Charlie Chaplin movie.
Let's expand the lifeline of a divorcing couple few years either side. In the past they married wowing each other in front of a gathering to be happy forever to forgive each other without any remorse in mistakes. To help and respect and on this day, they did feel that they are the happiest as each of them possessed that one thing that they craved for so long, that is their partner. However, that after years apart we find that this is not true. Things did change and they must be laughing at each other that they were wrong about their partner. And I am sure if we move forward time some years into the future after the divorce. Same thing would happen. They will yet again have another new opinion about their partner without knowing the absurdity of it. Life is a comedy after all in long shot.
But what about comedy?
There is a hidden message inside of it. Although life is a comedy in a long shot. Isn't it absurd that life is a comedy after all. Isn't it stupid to succumb to cancer, after making trouble to earn a million dollars. The comedy of life is not visible when you are just focused on just a small piece of life. This is the exact point I have illustrated in the previous article about Weak dictators of our century. So, if someone told that he is the most powerful person on earth, I would say, yes, true and not true at the same time. Nothing seems sustainable. Yet it seems so, at this moment.
What a better place to start, Life story of Charlie Chaplin himself.
For the information of the article, I had to read about the life story of the Charlie Chaplin. And it surprised me, behind that comedian He had not been good at his family life and treating others. Ironically, he had many divorces in his life, one after the other. And after all it is hilarious to think about the same person, who read the above quote seems to be referring to himself. Teenage wives, multiple divorces a sadistic Tyrant? And it seems we are glad to be him being a comedian and not a dictator.
Let's look back at our lives, when time allows, to make a mindful note of the comedy in it. After all life is a tragedy in close up but a comedy in long shot.
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