The adage “A rolling stone gathers no moss” depicts the idea that if you continue to move through life to quickly, you will overlook the aspects of life that make it worth living. People are completely ignorant of the subtle joy that the simplicity in life brings us. We take advantage of the time we are given, and we spend it on meaningless concepts that we are subject to in our day to day life. I believe we should slow down for a minute and appreciate the beauty that life has to offer.
The rolling stone represents someone who is unable to characterize who they want to be, and what they want to do in life. They seem to be constantly moving, but overall they cannot find a final resting point. The stone is continuing to roll, but when will it be able to stop and stabilize itself? The concept of knowing you are at a stable point in your life gives off a sense of comfort, which is something we struggle to find. In this aphorism, the rolling motion of the stone is seen as a negative influence. The stone continuously rolling stands for the way life can just pass you by in an instant, and leave you with the feeling that you missed out on something. A stone is portrayed as a stubborn and inanimate object, which in this case is metaphorically equal to someone who is lacking some sort of ambition or drive.
The deprivation of stability in their life, reveals the weakness of having no emotional connection or attachment to anything in their life. The stone gathering no moss is characterized as the person missing out on those little things in life that are of such significance. For example, the genuine love and support we receive that gives us the strength to push through the day. The moss is in contrast against the stone, because it suggests a positive outlook on life. The relationships we develop throughout our life, whether it be spiritual, emotional, physical, or knowledgeable, are what we should aim for achieving in the short period of time that we are allowed.
