The Ant, the Grasshopper, and the Question of Now

One day, the grasshopper from the story “The Ant and the Grasshopper” knocked on my door.
"Excuse me," he said, "I see you’re writing and thought I’d interrupt you in the middle of it."
"Really?" I asked, surprised. It's not every day a literary character shows up at my door.

"I'm a bit troubled," he added.
"About what?" I asked.
"About your new book. You write that we should live in the present, and I really tried to do that, until I got slammed at the end of my own story."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You know exactly what I mean!" he snapped. "At the end, the ant comes off as righteous and wise, while I’m seen as... I don’t know exactly, some kind of reckless hedonist who doesn’t think about winter. Like you humans say: ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise’ (Proverbs 6:6).”

“Wait, hold on,” I tried to interrupt him. “That’s not what I’m saying. I didn’t write that we should live in the moment while ignoring the future! I didn’t say to disregard reality and just dance through life.”
“No?” he asked, puzzled. “Then what are you saying?”

Does Living in the Now Contradict Planning and Goals?

Must living in the moment mean renouncing everyday life and disconnecting from society? Where, if anywhere, did the grasshopper go wrong? It seems that there's a contradiction between two opposing worldviews:

• One says: Live now. Live in this moment. Don’t think about the future- who knows if you’ll even be here tomorrow?

• The other says: You can’t live without planning. Go to the ant, sluggard- learn how to prepare! If you don’t plan in the summer, you’ll starve in the winter. Without goals and direction, you won’t accomplish anything.

These perspectives appear to be polar opposites. One focuses on the present, the other on the future. One says that everything you do now shapes your future, and that if you don’t live now, you’ll never truly live, whereas the other says that if you live only for now without purpose or goals, it’s like trying to build a house without a blueprint- what are the chances you’ll place the right stone in the right place?

Can These Perspectives Be Reconciled?

In some ways, they actually complement one another. The “here and now” view teaches that all we truly have is this moment, and that we should act as best we can in this moment without obsessing over the past or future. It's a circular view- not about moving forward or striving for something else, but about being fully present and deepening our connection to where we are right now.

The goal-oriented view says that in order to choose the correct next step, you need to know where you're headed. After all, if you don’t know where you're going, how do you know what your next move should be? This is connected to what Kabbalistic teachings refer to as “the path of straightness” (yashar)- a linear way of seeing life.

Another way to understand it is as follows:

• The “right side” (chesed) is about openness, flow, and acceptance- aligned with the circular, present-focused view.

• The “left side” (gevurah) is about structure, discipline, and goals- aligned with the straight, future-oriented view.

What we need is a synthesized perspective that embraces both. We must live with purpose, vision, and goals, and also live fully in the present moment, understanding that we don’t have to solve the world’s problems on our own, that we are part of a larger whole.

This is a view rooted in humility and awe, and an awareness that life is not about total control or total surrender, but a dynamic balance between the two.

Avoiding Extremes

With this approach, we can avoid the following extremes:

• The illusion of total control- “It’s all up to me." This leads to ego, and often to fear and anxiety, because if everything depends on you, the weight is enormous and terrifying.

• The illusion of total detachment- “Since G-d does everything, I’m off the hook.” While this might offer a sense of peace, it’s not the purpose of creation. On a psychological level, this detachment can lead to emotional and spiritual numbness.

We are here to act. But the core of that action is the recognition that we are one part of a much bigger story.

From Ran Weber's new book, "Living the Day." To purchase, visit Hidabroot Shops or call: 073-222-125