You can rely on the unknown. Sounds crazy, right?
And yet, that’s the key to salvation I’m learning now. To stay grounded, an insight must enter the mind through the body. For me, that’s Sutemi Waza—sacrifice throws.
In judo, these techniques involve the attacker deliberately falling onto his back, side, or stomach to drag his opponent down and execute a powerful throw. When your opponent is stronger, you have no choice but to turn his weight and momentum against him.
But there’s a cost. If the move fails, you’ll become even more vulnerable. Worse, you lose your footing and plunge into nothing.
Psychologically, this is hard. The mind resists while the body tries to follow through. The result? A weak, half-hearted attempt. There’s no in-between—you either go all in or walk away.
Luckily, you can create support out of thin air. Like a spider weaving its web midair, you build a structure in freefall—out of your opponent’s body and your own.
Your opponent instinctively resists, trying not to fall with you. That tension creates a system of opposing forces. It’s temporary, unstable, yet surprisingly strong. And most importantly, you control its direction.
The psychoanalyst Marie-Louise von Franz once wrote:
“Without a doubt, facing the unknown—without knowing what lies ahead or whether you’ll endure the darkness—is one of the hardest tasks. The deepest human fears and panic are tied to this uncertainty.”
(my translation)
For most people, chaos is a terrifying void. But if you take the initiative, it gives you the raw material for a web, a trap, or a net.
This metaphor runs deep. A spider spins its silk from within. Likewise, a person pulls elegant solutions from the dark depths of his own nature—an enigma that remains forever unsolved.
Maybe the unknown inside us is far more terrifying than the one outside.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
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