The 50th Law (with 50 Cent)

Keys to Human Nature
If we could step back and somehow examine the train of our daily
thoughts, we would realize how they tend to circle around the same
anxieties, fantasies, and resentments, like a continuous loop. Even
when we take a walk or have a conversation with someone, we
generally remain connected to this interior monologue, only half
listening and paying attention to what we see or hear.

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Upon occasion, however, certain events can trigger a different
quality of thinking and feeling. Let us say we go on a trip to a foreign
land we have never visited before, outside our usual comfort zone.
Suddenly our senses snap to life and everything we see and hear seems
a little more vibrant. To avoid problems or dangerous situations in this
unfamiliar place, we have to pay attention.
Similarly, if we are about to leave on a trip and must say good-bye
to people we love, whom we may not see for a while, we might
suddenly view them in a different light. Normally we take such people
for granted, but now we actually look at the particular expressions on
their faces and listen to what they have to say. The sense of a looming
separation makes us more emotional and attentive.
A more intense version of this will occur if a loved one—a parent or
a partner or a sibling—dies. This person played a large role in our lives;
we have internalized them, and we have somehow lost a part of
ourselves. As we grapple with this, the shadow of our own mortality
falls over us for an instant. We are made aware of the permanence of
this loss and feel regret that we did not appreciate them more. We may
even feel some anger that life simply goes on for other people, that they
are oblivious to the reality of death that has suddenly struck us.
For several days or perhaps weeks after this loss, we tend to
experience life differently. Our emotions are rawer and more sensitive.