None of us ever "arrives" in life. We are ongoing works in progress for as long as we're wandering around breathing.
Regardless, the idea of staying still, of remaining the same isn't that appealing. Somehow, the idea that we will never truly achieve our full potential is inspiring, rather than depressing. And so we embark on a journey of continual growth and discovery. Or in other words, learning.
And so, a Good Home should encourage us in our learning process.
Before we had our inherent curiosity replaced with an attitude of compliance by institutional education (or an institutional workplace), we sought out new experiences. And to a greater or less extent, the environment we found ourselves in supported our learning. Our homes could do the same.
There is, however, a hidden fish hook in this: Most of us approach our houses as being ultimately about comfort, about meeting our material needs. And learning requires us to move through a liminal space, a threshold feeling, a necessarily uncomfortable process.
This is a case of "both and" not "either or". There is a design challenge for both space design, and lifestyle design, to make our homes a place that provides comfort and facilitates the discomfort required to learn and grow.
Two simple ways this has worked for me are:
- Living in a smaller space than I think I need.
- Living with other people.