If you’re familiar with the story of Moby Dick, you know that Capt. Ahab’s dream of killing the whale became a nightmare. It’s a story that shows us that having the wrong goals, can lead to tragedy.
In Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick, Melville tells the tragic story about Captain Ahab, a whaling-ship captain who is tormented by a single purpose in life—to hunt down and kill the white whale named Moby Dick. Ahab hated this whale because it had bitten off his right leg.
In the story, Captain Ahab sails the world’s oceans searching for the hated white whale. Captain Ahab is a man totally single-minded in his pursuit of Moby Dick. From one side of the globe to the other, Captain Ahab is tireless in his pursuit of his goal—to find the white whale and kill it!
Unfortunately, the story has a tragic ending. Captain Ahab finds the whale, but in his desperation to kill his nemesis, Ahab risks both ship and crew. In a plea to bring Ahab to his senses, the chief mate cries out to the captain: “Oh Ahab! not too late is it, even now . . . to desist. See Moby Dick seeks thee not. It is thou, that madly seekest him!”
Ahab ignores the warning and chases on. Finally, Ahab harpoons the whale, but rather than being the fulfillment of a dream, the dream becomes a nightmare as the rope of the harpoon wraps around Captain Ahab’s neck, and Moby Dick pulls the captain deep under the ocean waves.
Melville’s story about Ahab and the white whale is a story about the fatal end of a man who was driven mad by his desperate pursuit of a goal. In the end, Ahab’s foolishness led to the destruction of his ship and the death of his crew.
We may not be being driven mad by our goals and desires, but all of us need to examine our goals and desires to see if they are positive or destructive. A good and positive goal will lead to happiness, but if our goals and dreams are selfish or self-serving, they may be driving us blindly in the wrong direction, and we may be headed for a tragic end.
If the number one goal of your life is selfish and self-seeking, you may end up losing everything you care about.
So what should we do to make sure we are pursuing the right goals?
The first step in making positive goals is to look at how much time, energy, or money you expend on something. Don’t just assume you are really pursuing something good and positive. You can determine your priorities by measuring how much time, energy, or money you spend on a certain activity. Once you see what really is important to you, you have to decide if this activity or pursuit is really what you want to be a priority.
If you don’t like what you see, you can change your priorities and goals by doing something positive. Maybe you want to spend less time watching YouTube videos or spending hours watching shows on Netflix. How will you fill the time?
Whatever you do, try to make it something good and positive.
Maybe you’re already chasing a good goal, but you know someone who, like Capt. Ahab, is chasing a destructive dream. Maybe you have a friend of family member whose life seems to be going in the wrong direction. Don’t let them spiral out of control. Be a friend. Try to help them before it’s too late.
Don’t be like Captain Ahab. Make sure your dreams don’t turn into a nightmare. Consider how your desires might affect those around you. Make sure your dreams are moving you and those you care about in a positive direction.
Leave a Reply