Being Jupiter, Conflict, and Doing Nothing

I was listening to Seth Godin this morning and heard this:

What’s it for?

 For something to be for something, it means that it was created as an intervention. That you are bringing something to the world to make a change happen.



So, the planet Jupiter... What is Jupiter for?

Jupiter isn’t for anything. Jupiter is simply Jupiter. It’s there. 

We don’t need to ask what’s Jupiter for, because nobody we know put any time or effort, took any risk, extended any emotional labor to create Jupiter.

When it comes to story and conflict, often a character wants something because they are trying to bring about change, in themselves or in the world. And this change requires a choice to intervene.

But what about Jupiter?

Sometimes there are stories which are about characters who don’t want change. Characters who just want to be.

Unlike Jupiter, for our characters to just be requires a choice. A choice to not act. To do nothing.

So again, whether we think our story isn't about conflict, it often is and we need to understand that.