February 20, 2008
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I gather from wandering around in bookstores that a good many books are marketed on the premise that people want to know about or learn to do a certain thing quickly. They are books that have titles that run like ‘guide to this or that’ or ‘introduction to such and such’ or ‘ten steps to learning blank.’ I don’t like the assumption in this however. It seems like this is making life literally out to be a checklist.
Think about the full richness of any experience, such as camping in the woods, or reading and discussing Shakespeare’s plays, or running a marathon. It seems to me there is no shortcut to experiencing the full magnificence of any of these things. If there is a book that purports to make these things simpler, then it seems to me it must be subtracting something from the experience. The full experience consists in approaching the subject or activity from the standard human position and then experiencing it.
Here is a thought experiment that I am constantly reminded of when I notice such books. Consider picking up the book Writing Exceptional Poetry off the shelf in a bookstore. Now ask yourself the question, did Edgar Allan Poe ever read this book? Of course, the answer is no. It seems the same is true of all history’s greatest in any subject; none of them read the introductory or ‘how to’ book that you are holding in your hands right now, but were masters of their subject nonetheless.
Or there is another equally useful question you could ask. Ask yourself, did the author read this book? By ruminating this question you realize that this book obviously cannot be essential to achieving the end you have in mind. There must be another way, the way that this author came to know these things, or the way Edgar Allan Poe became an astounding poet. How did they do it? How did they master such things, and learn about them?
Life is not an art museum where we may simply take a few moments of time to absorb each work’s beauty. There is no knowing how deep life goes or what the deep looks like until we have actually swam the depths. Continually while traveling through life we will notice a detail and want to be its master. In the fantasy of the mind, life is this series of paintings for us to quickly inspect, as many as we can, and then die. We want to know things, without really knowing them. But is life not a thick wood, rather than a checklist?
It seems to me that shortcuts are illusory; true experiences are had the same way today they always were. If you want to know what is in the book before you, don’t read it, become the author. Thoroughgoing dilettantes don’t ever really know or experience anything at all.
Comments (15)
You know, some people’s personalities are given to find satisfaction in checklists. It’s not a bad thing…it’s just how we are made. It’s very “J” on the Myers-Briggs / Jung personality types.
It’s interesting…the “how-to” formula about poetry you pose reminds me of the scene in Dead Poet’s Society when they rip the page out of the front of their literature books.
Well, it’s not that checklists are bad. Just that I don’t think we should view experiences in life that way. We should approach experiences for ourselves from the start of them, rather than trying to just ‘get it out of the way.’ So checklists aren’t in themselves bad, just the shortcut mentality that tends to accompany them.
I hadn’t remembered about that Dead Poet’s scence. Classic and relevant. Love that movie.
You know, I never understood why anyone would want to read “‘Yada’ for Dummies” you know? That’s like admitting that you’re unintelligent.
Lists are good, but when everything is all structure and program, it’s too easy to focus on the outline and miss the actual experience.
The greats were great because they lived their life fully and doing so compelled them to create out of their need to express the life they were so fulling living—fully good or fully bad doesn’t even matter. It’s just plain sad how much non-great stuff is being created out there.
Well said. ~ L
Hear, hear!
Interesting thoughts. I think that something that relates to this is our fast paced world. It’s as if people think the world is spinning faster than it used to. Microwaves, TV, Planes, and the Internet are just a few examples of how the society of the world has driven to make everything more accessible and obtained faster. Our society has become desensitized. Although I don’t necessarily think that all these kinds of books are bad, I think it’s better to learn from a more natural experience.
BTW I might be going to the Creation Museum tomorrow (might because of the weather). I’m excited. I have heard lots of good things about it. I’m not sure if I will agree with everything but I hope that the there will be more in agreement than not. Have you been to see it?
Very good post and very well said!!
Bravo!!
I must respectfully disagree with you.
Firstly, consider how much information must be had to really have an understanding of a subject. Then remember that exactly what information you have contributes to this understanding which is on the road to mastery. Using an introductory book is admiting you don’t much but want to, and by using this authors insights or experience, you believe that you can get to the end of some journey of experience faster or more fully.
To take art or understanding art as an example, if you were to wonder a museum for days, nay, months on end, you would still know very little about what art means to the multitudes of people who have made and thought about it over the years. But by having a guide into the subject, you have years worth of experience not only giving you information, but also sorting out for you exactly which information is most importent, hence giving you major benefit. Martial arts is another wonderful example; with a teacher, you can discover much more much more quickly then you ever could on you own, because you have the (possibly summerized) wisdom of the ages behind you.
I do want to live life for myself, and at it’s fullest, but if someone else can help me get there all the faster, then all the better.
Bummer.. “Ice, Snow.. Darn that wintery mix stuff!” lol
I’m not going tomorrow because of the weather. We are planning on going two fridays from now instead. You should go sometime. I am looking forward to the planetarium the most I think. I am glad that you have heard good reports. So far all feedback I’ve heard has been good. I’m excited.
um, how can you not love johnny and viggo?? they are in two of your favorite movies!
UGH their acting is a-freakin-mazing.
daniel will probably win, like you said. i haven’t seen the movie–but the critics have been ranting and raving about him.
i just can’t believe you don’t think they are good actors. tell me someone who is better than them, please.
(someone who is in current hollywood–not james stewart or carey grant)
For some things, I can see the wisdom of going fully in and then later, if at all, deciding to seek advice and help, and I can think of at least one good reason guidence may not be advisable: When you’re not using the “tricks of the trade” of others you’re going to use and invent your own. It can give you a feel for what your own preferences are. But I must say that I would hold learning the basics from someone else isn’t so much a “quick-short start” in a bad way sort of thing, but rather a way of making sure that what you value early on is what people have found to be worth valuing. But I think I’ve made those points before.
If you feel better throwing yourself into something, finding what you like, and then getting the oppinions of others, that is fine. My diffuculty with that may be more personal then logical, I must concede, for I have had experiences where I found I was “doing things” almost backword to what was really best. Maybe I’m just not that sort of exploritive person.
i get what you are conveying; it’s not that there is no merit in enjoying glimpses into untrecked fields, it’s just that one shouldn’t confuse that with the true experience. a movie trailer, cliff’s notes, and magazine articles on obscure trends cannot replace the life-experience wrought by fully emersing oneself into a practice or idea or event.
so, word.