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Of the several topics I like to read about and study, the study of languages stands out as the sort of warp that ties seemingly disparate subjects together. No matter what it is that absorbs my interest, it's ties with certain language or languages will always be influential in my studies. Indeed, while my interests may be subjected to the whims of my ever changing mental state, languages remain as the constant focus of my efforts, and their study as the main application of discipline.
By now I have undertaken the study of several languages, some 5 of them, though in different degrees and at varying stages of development: some I have started before others, some are my primary focus, while for some of them I only dabble in them on ocassion.
While I do not stress becoming fluent in all of them, I do expect to build some skill in all of them in due time. I see languages not as goals to conquer, as something I have to master within a time frame, but still, I expect that by my continuous effort I will gradually build some proficiency in them, so that a couple decades from now I would like to be able to use them with some skill, if only to be able to read and understand them, which is ultimately my primary aim.
But life always has surprises in store for all of us, so I wouldn't be surprised if only 5 years from now my expectations and focus are wholly different. For now, I am in the path of building familiarity with them, and gradually advancing towards a better understanding, acknowledging that knowledge is a continuum and not a sort of milestone one reaches after a number of years of efforts.
How does this affect the other stuff that I learn? So often these othet subjects have to take a back seat, however relevant to my daily life and long term aims they are. I put so much time into languages, sometimes to the expense of the larger, more relevant concerns that have an import both on my life and in the greater scheme of things.
Honestly, if I have to conjure an answer to this pressing matter, I give higher pride of place to personal preference and curiosity, maybe even to an aesthetic consideration, than I do to life-critical issues. As I already said, life is unpredictable, and whatever I may consider a wise investment on time to meet future vicissitudes may, and often does, prove inadequate for the conditions that eventually life presents us with.
An existential threat is constantly looming over our heads, what with ecological collapse, geopolitical conflicts, and the blatant disregard by the whole of mankind on truly critical matters in favour of narratives that only serve to make things worse for every living thing on this planet. To go and worry myself with every inane discourse about whether to support team A or team B or which criminals we ought to support to inflict their own flavour of further degradation, to occupy my attention in these harmful matters is of no consequence if in the long term it will only affect me negatively, and furthermore, affect every other entity on this planet with my complicity by giving my support to some or other ideological party.
But I digress. Even if language is itself a vehicle of that very same harmful treadmill of civilization that advances in our spite, always much greater than any of us, the ability to immerse ourselves in different cultures, and thus to meet people from distant locations and times, provides me with at least some solace from the unstoppable forces that seek to destroy everything that is good and beautiful.
I let myself go astray once again. What I mean by all this is that, while learning languages, especially ancient ones, is of no practical benefit, that is not a misfeature but maybe even a good thing, by not contributing to the force of death that is our society. I won't apologize for indulging in the things that excite me instead of being a good and useful citizen. I won't seek further participation and dependence on the oppressive Leviathan.
In other words, do more of what makes you happy.