Paul Erdos lived the interested life on his terms and no one elses - why can't all of us?

Just finished The Man Who Loved Numbers, the biography of Paul Erdos, and now that I am finished with the book, I am  obsessed with Paul Erdos, who spent his life doing nothing but studying mathematics, collaborating with friends, and solving complicated math problem after problem.

He lived really nowhere but traveled anywhere. If he read an interesting article or paper, or heard some interesting news, he called the person who was working on it, and went there. He carried one suitcase and a bag, both half full, that contained nearly all his belongings.

He had no house, no clutter, no wife or children, he wanted no set teaching position, he simply wanted to travel the world, finding those things that he found of interest, and worried only about them.

He was no hermit, he traveled everywhere.

He definitely wasn't anti-social, he had friends everywhere, and has more papers with collaborators than just about anyone. He liked people.

But he loved mathematics, the beauty of it, the challenge of it, and he build his liufe so that bhe could do exactly what he wanted with the minimum of anything else.

Most of us might spend 5 percent of our time doing what we dream of, if that, and the rest doing what we should, or what we believe we have to do. Paul Erdos spent 100 percent of his time doing what he wanted.

He lived his life.

Most of us simply exist, dreaming of a life, but thinking of him, mhow he lived, I know anyone can, they just need to choose to live how they want.

I am simply inspired.

D