Excellent song! This is easily one of my favorite Queensryche songs.

It almost seems to say that we humans live our lives too safely. We're afraid to take risks, afraid to push the envelope and risk possibly losing control of ourselves and our lives.

This song seems almost like a paradox to me; on one hand it's telling you to free your mind and gain knowledge, yet it also tells you to exercise patience and control. It says they must fight clarity of mind and power, as well as fear and the desire to rest. That makes me wonder if the song is both celebrating and condemning nonconformity. It seems to celebrate the nonconformity of gaining knowledge, rather than being one of the "average" masses, yet you are encouraged to do so in a deliberate, controlled manner. Maybe they're saying it's dangerous to gain too much knowledge before you are capable of processing it all?

Very interesting all-around!

the last verse in this song really makes you think about things:We must challenge and defeat our four natural enemies;
Fear.
Clarity of mind.
Power and the desire to rest

The Art of Life is apparently doing what you can to the fullest extent with what you have. We can only go as far as we can without rushing and faltering as long as we know our limits and exercise a degree of restraint.