The anguish of change is the existential friction felt when the “stable ground” of tradition dissolves into the fluid uncertainty of the future. It is the psychological price of living in a postmodern world where the speed of transformation outpaces our biological and spiritual capacity to adapt, leaving the individual in a state of perpetual displacement.
If we are not able to change, it is because we cannot cease to be. It is distressing to undergo the transition from being to not being, that is to say, to change. It is not anguishing that the environment changes, but that our skiing changes.
Our skiing reality is change, however, the only real thing is what changes. And why change anguishes us? It anguishes us because we resist to end being, to the possibility of not being anything until we are something else, and this uncertainty is what mortifies us.
When we undergo a change, it is possible that our skiing reality may differ, as it involves uncertainty, which can be distressing. We do not change because we pretend a ‘predictable’ skiing. However, if we do not undergo change, we will not be able to fully realize our potential.
There is change because there is a skiing that is not yet present, and by changing, we will cease to be the skiers we are. Therefore, breaking away from this binary scheme of being and not being can be distressing. We are distressed that there are possibilities to change and that we have to choose one, but we are also distressed if there are none.
To move beyond this anguish, we must decide: are we changing to grow, or are we changing simply to avoid being?
From “Old Soul” to “High Speed”
To ground the philosophical concept of The Anguish of Change in the physical world of skiing, we can look at the tension between the “Old Soul” of the sport and the “High-Speed” postmodern reality.
The Disappearance of the “Home” Run: in the past, a skier could return to the same mountain for 20 years and find the same bumps, the same narrow trails, and the same local lodge.
- The Anguish: a “standardized” resort suddenly bulldozes a favorite eccentric trail to make room for a wide, groomed motorway.
- The Experience: the skier feels a sense of mourning; the physical landscape of their memories has been erased in favor of a “novel” efficiency they never asked for.
The “Quiver” Anxiety (Gear Obsession): the postmodern skier is told that their 3-year-old skis are “obsolete” because a new “rocker-camber” profile has been released.
- The Anguish: instead of focusing on the sensation of the snow, the skier stands at the top of a beautiful peak thinking, “Would I be having more fun if I had the newer, lighter model?”
- The Experience: the “quest for what is lacking” ruins the perfection of the present moment. The gear becomes a burden rather than a tool.
The Death of the “Secret Stash”: before the digital age, finding a secret glade of trees was a “rite of passage” earned through years of exploration.
- The Anguish: a skier arrives at their secret spot only to find 50 people there because it was “tagged” on social media the day before.
- The Experience: the standardization of news turns a private sanctuary into a public product. The skier feels “displaced” in a location they once owned through intimacy.
The “Data vs. Delight” Conflict: a skier finishes the best run of their life—fluid, rhythmic, and peaceful.
- The Anguish: they check their phone and see they were actually 5 mph slower than their friend.
- The Experience: the anguish of comparison instantly replaces the joy of the sensation. The “result” (the data) has murdered the “being” (the feeling).
The “Technique” Turnover: an intermediate skier spends years mastering a specific “classic” style. Suddenly, the “new” way to ski involves a completely different body position and athletic stance.
- The Anguish: the fear that they are “becoming obsolete” on the mountain.
- The Experience: instead of the mountain being a place of relaxation, it becomes a stressful classroom where they are constantly trying to “re-brand” their own body to fit the current novelty.
In each example, the skier is forced to choose between internal mastery (the stable self) and external novelty (the changing world).
Resistance to Change vs. Liberation through Change
Analyzing the resistance to change versus the liberation through change reveals the core struggle of the postmodern skier. This duality suggests that anguish isn’t just a negative state, but a “crossroads” for the identity of the athlete.
Analyzing Resistance (The Quest for the “Stable Self”)
Resistance is the attempt to protect the internal essence of skiing from the “rapid turnover” of the market.
- The Philosophical Goal: To achieve Autonomy. By refusing to buy the newest gear or follow the latest digital trend, the skier reclaims ownership of their experience.
- The Risk of “Drowsiness”: total resistance can lead to stagnation. If we never change, we might miss out on legitimate improvements (like using helmets or better weather tracking) that actually enhance the “sensation.”
- Example: the “Local” who skis on 20-year-old equipment. They have high integrity, but they are physically working much harder than necessary. Their resistance is a “shield” against postmodernity, but it can also become a “prison” of nostalgia.
Analyzing Liberation (The “Protean” Opportunity)
Liberation is the embrace of change as a tool for reinvention and new opportunities.
- The Philosophical Goal: to achieve Freedom. If nothing is permanent, then no failure is permanent. You can be a “new” skier every season, unburdened by the weight of tradition or “the way things have always been done.”
- The Risk of “Dissatisfaction”: if change is purely driven by “what is lacking,” the liberation is a lie. We aren’t free; we are simply servants to novelty. We become “spectacles” moving from one trend to another without ever developing a core.
- Example: the “Intermediate” skier who tries every new discipline—from carving to park to touring. They feel a sense of excitement and novelty that keeps them young. However, they may never feel the deep, “stable” satisfaction of true mastery because they never stay with one “way” long enough.
Comparison Summary
| Feature | Resistance (Stability) | Liberation (Change) |
| Primary Value | Authenticity & Roots | Growth & Discovery |
| Danger | Obsolescence & Rigidness | Fragmentation & Anxiety |
| View of the Mountain | A Sanctuary/Home | A Playground/Stage |
| Response to “Novelty” | Skepticism | Curiosity |
