Don't fly too close to the sun.

Most animals seem to know and respect their limits. These could be social, environmental, physical or emotional limits. Our manic society has pushed us humans to believe that blurring the lines and pushing the limits, is in our best interest. Which brings me to an interesting question: “What’s the difference between a high-achiever and an over-achiever?”

Here is a cautionary tale from Greek mythology. Daedalus, was a genius inventor, sculptor and craftsman in Athens. He was a celebrated figure, until he created something that could harm the city. The king imprisoned Daedalus and his only son (Icarus) on the top of the tallest tower, where they were to remain for the rest of their lives.

In prison, the inventor devised an escape plan. They used feathers from the flocks of birds and the wax from candles to create giant pairs of wings. They planned to strap on these wings, jump of the tower and fly away from the island.

Before jumping off, Daedalus warned Icarus: “Flying too near the ocean, would dampen the feathers. Flying too close to the sun and the heat would melt the wax. The key to the escape was to fly in the middle.”

They were the first mortals ever to fly, as they jumped off the tower together. Icarus was overwhelmed with the ecstasy of flight and overcome with the feeling of divine power. Daedalus, his father could only watch, as his son’s wings burned. Icarus flew too close to the sun. To witnesses on the ground, they could have looked like gods, but Icarus plunged to the ground.

The Fall of Icarus (1635-7), oil on canvas by Jacob Peter Gowy.

Humans thrived during the Renaissance periods and Industrial revolution, but did we fly too close to the sun? Will all this “innovation” lead to our eventual death? We face macro-environmental threats like global warming, soil depletion, air pollution, deforestation (just to name a few), but let’s go micro and look at social-psychology (our own behavior).

Think of a few celebrated figures. Keep their stories in mind. Now ask yourself - “Were they high-achievers or over-achievers?”. Which bucket do you fall in?

We’re in the compulsive need to out-do ourselves and others around us. “High-performance” has leaked into our daily lives and even our relationships.

Superman - Kingdom Come (1996) by Alex Ross

Here are superficial signs of a burnt-out “over-achiever”. You don’t have time for family or friends. You’ve isolated yourself socially and drowned yourself in work. You sacrifice your own mental and physical health in-service of your ambition (or greed). You’re so obsessed with perfection in all aspects of life, that you’re losing sleep.

If you aren’t blessed with super-human genes, then this behaviour could lead to severe mental illnesses such as depression, chronic anxiety or bi-polar disorder. Look around, I’m sure you already know of a few cases.

Here is what a lack of balance in life can do to humanity, Japan even has a name for it - “Karoshi” (death by overwork). More than 2,000 Japanese killed themselves due to work-related stress in the year 2016, while many other were victims to heart attacks, strokes or some other sudden death caused by overwork.

The media is busy celebrating figures that are potential “over-achievers”, without asking them “was it worth it?”. We should take a moment in our hyper-active lives to pause, breathe and reflect on our patterns. Good things come out of introspection.

To gauge the significance of the story of Icarus, think of the sun as a metaphor. It could symbolise a false god, shallow value system or a fairy-tale-like fantasy. Don’t fly too close to the sun.