"That's human nature - the ups and downs"
About this Quote
Human nature does not move in a straight line; it sways, recedes, and surges. The observation points to something both ordinary and profound: change is built into us. Our biology primes us for fluctuation. Dopamine spikes and dips, stress hormones rise and fall, circadian rhythms tug at mood and energy. Psychologists call it hedonic adaptation, the tendency to return to a baseline after triumph or setback. The high does not last forever, but neither does the low. That oscillation is not a defect to be cured; it is the terrain we are meant to travel.
Meaning depends on contrast. Joy becomes legible against sorrow, confidence is tempered by self-doubt, and learning takes root in the soil of mistakes. Stories that move us follow arcs for the same reason. An actress understands that characters gain depth only when they crest and crash, recalibrate, and continue. Gertz, who has also stood in the public eye as a co-owner of an NBA team, knows the seasons of wins and losses that define sport and, by extension, public life. The ups and downs are not distractions from the plot; they are the plot.
Modern culture often sells the fantasy of permanent ascent: constant optimization, relentless positivity, a feed filled with curated peaks. The human nervous system cannot sustain that script, and the soul would be poorer for trying. Acceptance does not mean resignation; it means learning to ride with poise. When the wave is rising, practice humility; when it breaks, practice patience. Gratitude becomes sturdier, compassion becomes easier, and judgment softens when we remember that everyone is catching a breath between crests and troughs.
There is comfort and courage in that frame. If fluctuation is the rule, then despair loses its inevitability and euphoria its tyranny. What remains is steadiness: a willingness to keep showing up, to let time do its quiet work, and to trust that the line of a life is drawn not by one peak or valley, but by the rhythm they create together.
Meaning depends on contrast. Joy becomes legible against sorrow, confidence is tempered by self-doubt, and learning takes root in the soil of mistakes. Stories that move us follow arcs for the same reason. An actress understands that characters gain depth only when they crest and crash, recalibrate, and continue. Gertz, who has also stood in the public eye as a co-owner of an NBA team, knows the seasons of wins and losses that define sport and, by extension, public life. The ups and downs are not distractions from the plot; they are the plot.
Modern culture often sells the fantasy of permanent ascent: constant optimization, relentless positivity, a feed filled with curated peaks. The human nervous system cannot sustain that script, and the soul would be poorer for trying. Acceptance does not mean resignation; it means learning to ride with poise. When the wave is rising, practice humility; when it breaks, practice patience. Gratitude becomes sturdier, compassion becomes easier, and judgment softens when we remember that everyone is catching a breath between crests and troughs.
There is comfort and courage in that frame. If fluctuation is the rule, then despair loses its inevitability and euphoria its tyranny. What remains is steadiness: a willingness to keep showing up, to let time do its quiet work, and to trust that the line of a life is drawn not by one peak or valley, but by the rhythm they create together.
Quote Details
| Topic | Life |
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