The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular.
Edward Gibbon, 1774
Playing w one recipe for the Good Life, which is “find the end in every instant” until effortless
“Live in the moment”
Too unspecific 👎I’m talking abt noticing the
specific thing
supplied by the moment that I
already appreciate.A currently available
https://twitter.com/tyleralterman/status/1564964037091368966?s=46&t=6O8PrFfML1qf6wie6T-AxA
end-in-itself
A moment ago, the end-in-itself was just enjoying the clack of my boots as I walked. These things can be…pedestrian (hehe)
Tho if I want to b fancy, I could consider these ends as portals to the divine, tailored to my particular mind
This recipe for the good life doesn’t rule out preparing for the future. That’s classic hippie error
You just notice the ends in the process of preparation
A process which contains ends can also be a means
I confessed that I had a burning desire to be excellent, but no faith that I could be.
Martha said to me, very quietly: “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. As for you, Agnes, you have so far used about one-third of your talent.”
“But,” I said, “when I see my work I take for granted what other people value in it. I see only its ineptitude, inorganic flaws, and crudities. I am not pleased or satisfied.”
“No artist is pleased.”
“But then there is no satisfaction?”
“No satisfaction whatever at any time,” she cried out passionately. “There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
Agnes De Mille, Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham
My hypothesis: read five authoritative books about a particular subject and you will have top decile familiarity with the topic.
A possible Pareto modification for the time-constrained: read one authoritative book, sufficient to identify, hire, and work with a competent, experienced practitioner in the field.
In other words, optimize for learning enough to be a good shopper and good manager of talent in the field. Sink time into doing rather than learning incrementally more.
For some endeavors, it’s important to internalize the knowledge. For most, though, it’s sufficient to develop adequate intellectual filters and then get to work and do the actual thing, preferably with input from others.
The A student in me wants to Learn All the Things. the rugged individualist in me says I should do it all by myself.
The lesson of my recent life is, if you just go around talking about your incredibly specific dream project like it’s a real thing, loudly, enough times, you might run into someone else who has the exact same dream project, and then it might not be a dream for much longer
https://twitter.com/sashachapin/status/1565567924173213697?s=21&t=1SVGBkbhZhoMQnjkBRSXHQ