I was reading about Vincent van Gogh, and it made me think about how important timing is in life—or what some people might call luck. Van Gogh’s story is a strong example of this.
Today, Van Gogh is known as one of the greatest artists ever. But during his life, he faced a lot of hardship and rejection. The paintings we now see as priceless were ignored when he was alive. In fact, he only sold one painting in his entire life. He struggled with mental health issues, lived in poverty, and faced ridicule. Even his mother is said to have dismissed his art as a waste of time and thrown away many of his paintings.
This makes me wonder: was Van Gogh born in the wrong time, with the wrong people, or in the wrong market? What if he had lived in a world that understood and appreciated his vision? What if he had been surrounded by people who valued his talent instead of rejecting it? Would that have changed his life and how he saw himself?
His story ended tragically. He cut off his ear during a mental breakdown and later died from a gunshot wound, which most people believe was a suicide. He faced so much rejection and loneliness. Yet, after his death, his name and art became incredibly famous. People all over the world now celebrate his work. It makes you think: would Van Gogh have traded all the fame he got after his death for just a little bit of appreciation while he was alive?
Then again, does it even matter? Van Gogh will never know about the fame he has now. He’s not around to see his paintings in museums or people admiring his genius. The absurdness of it all is that we celebrate someone who, during his lifetime, lived in misery and never got to experience any of the success he’s now known for. It’s a strange kind of irony that makes you question how much posthumous fame really matters to the person who’s gone.
Timing plays a huge role in life. Just like in financial markets, where being too early or too late can affect success, life often depends on being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. Van Gogh was just as talented during his life as he is now known to be, but the world back then wasn’t ready for him.
This makes me think about how often we undervalue people, ideas, or work just because they don’t fit what we think is right. New and innovative things often come from crazy ideas that at first seem ridiculous. And then there’s the question of how to deal with the frustration of failing to convince others or being misunderstood. This is a thinking in progress—maybe someday it will make more sense, or maybe it never will.
