Very thought provoking post. Nobody can do everything well. We need to cooperate and find each person's gifts to function. It has worked so far, a scrawny primate has moved from the savanna of Africa to dominate the planet .
You’re right on as usual. I would like to assure those who think reaching out to explore a new career, idea or experiment is just not in their nature that the risk of failure is worth the ability to look in your mirror and say “ yes! I did everything I could with what I had, financially, mentally, physically and spiritually “ Then even if your effort is unsuccessful you will not only have learned valuable lessons for your next effort but will so much more appreciate the day you reach the view from your mountain top.
A great asset, IMO, is learning to love making mistakes when learning new things knowing I learn the most from my mistakes. If I’m not making mistakes I’m not learning newer, more difficult things.
A lot of work on this post. Shall I point out a couple of mistakes? Just kidding. 😉
PS. I forgot to say what others tell me I’m good at. I’m good at being a generalist. I know things from math, physics, psychology, statistical thinking (love Bayesian mindset), history, mythology (for me, all religions), literature, poetry, biology and life. I’m able to take concepts from one discipline and apply to others.
Armand, I think you and I have discussed this in the past. We both know that anytime one posits an opinion there is some probability of error. So what does the rational person do when they find they made an error? They adjust their opinion. That is the Bayesian way.
I have said things on Substack that with new information I find I may have been wrong. That is OK. One cannot continue to learn if they are afraid of being wrong.
Jim Sanders: Indeed, you and I have come to be corresponding friends.
The main thing is to build one's moral character and to love each person and to treat each person with dignity and to, within one's ability, to prevent suffering.
That sounds like a Buddhist teaching.
A Koan: Does a dog have the Buddha nature? -- (Answer): Mu!
That is similar to Plato's very beautiful, poignant dialogue, Parmenides, which brings tears to my eyes, for Socrates -- mythically or historically -- is presented in his youth and introduced to the beautiful realm of the Ideas through the aged Parmenides. One of the most beautiful of pieces in philosophy -- so full of the dialectic, of teachings of unity, and yet so deeply human and full of warm love.
I must confess that as I age I forget much. Thus, I had to lookup Parmenides again and went to the very long explanation in the Stanford Philosophical website. Skimming it, I’m not sure what exactly it is about Parmenides philosophy you love so much. However, over time I will read his poem more carefully.
As is not uncommon, this post needed a couple of days to digest and it was well worth the time. While I completely agree with your premise for people who are working or looking for work, it occurs to me that all of us are also looking for a situation where we are free of the concern about what we can get paid for and whether we'll find any emotional reward in doing it. Achieving that end requires that one have the resources to pay one's bills and provide for the emergencies that life occasionally tosses in our direction. I was fortunate to enjoy 50 or so years of cooking, tending bar, serving and teaching and leading people who did those things while getting paid fairly well to do so, but when the time came, I was equally fortunate in being able to say "Thanks, it's been a pleasure" and walk away with many friendships intact and a wealth of memories.
I'm now able to enjoy other aspects of life that, for better or worse, got second or third billing earlier on and that are providing me with the same satisfaction I once got from doing the things that paid my bills and provided for this future, including the value of our Social Security system. I had never understood what drives people to push beyond the point where they have enough to pay their bills, provide for those who are important to them, and make some provision for the future, but this letter gave me some insight into that. I believe that it's because people like some major public figures we can all think of don't ever develop that sense of satisfying uniqueness that each of us needs in order to say "Enough, thanks, I'm good" and turn away from a commercial focus. I cook and bake now because I enjoy it, offer advice when it's requested, and have an appreciation of the value of life that I don't think most overly wealthy people ever get. Not all; people like Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett, MacKenzie Scott, Taylor Swift, and a few others have clearly figured it out and don't focus their time and energy on increasing their material goods, but the real losers are the ones who drive themselves unceasingly to an unclear end that they will never achieve because they don't appreciate the value of their uniqueness.
💕 Keep yourself moving; action begets action.
Very thought provoking post. Nobody can do everything well. We need to cooperate and find each person's gifts to function. It has worked so far, a scrawny primate has moved from the savanna of Africa to dominate the planet .
You’re right on as usual. I would like to assure those who think reaching out to explore a new career, idea or experiment is just not in their nature that the risk of failure is worth the ability to look in your mirror and say “ yes! I did everything I could with what I had, financially, mentally, physically and spiritually “ Then even if your effort is unsuccessful you will not only have learned valuable lessons for your next effort but will so much more appreciate the day you reach the view from your mountain top.
That was excellent storytelling. Great way to present that concept :)
A great asset, IMO, is learning to love making mistakes when learning new things knowing I learn the most from my mistakes. If I’m not making mistakes I’m not learning newer, more difficult things.
A lot of work on this post. Shall I point out a couple of mistakes? Just kidding. 😉
PS. I forgot to say what others tell me I’m good at. I’m good at being a generalist. I know things from math, physics, psychology, statistical thinking (love Bayesian mindset), history, mythology (for me, all religions), literature, poetry, biology and life. I’m able to take concepts from one discipline and apply to others.
Jim Sanders: You and I relate to the same core out of Dr. Deborah Hall's teachings.
Except for my math anxiety, your list of subjects you love closely resemble my own.
Luckily, I learn, too, more from my mistakes. Luckily, because I make so many each day.
And Nancy, my well-loved wife of 52-years (52 together) reminds me daily of my mistakes. So I am sure to learn!
Jim: Well said!
Armand, I think you and I have discussed this in the past. We both know that anytime one posits an opinion there is some probability of error. So what does the rational person do when they find they made an error? They adjust their opinion. That is the Bayesian way.
I have said things on Substack that with new information I find I may have been wrong. That is OK. One cannot continue to learn if they are afraid of being wrong.
Jim Sanders: Indeed, you and I have come to be corresponding friends.
The main thing is to build one's moral character and to love each person and to treat each person with dignity and to, within one's ability, to prevent suffering.
That sounds like a Buddhist teaching.
A Koan: Does a dog have the Buddha nature? -- (Answer): Mu!
That is similar to Plato's very beautiful, poignant dialogue, Parmenides, which brings tears to my eyes, for Socrates -- mythically or historically -- is presented in his youth and introduced to the beautiful realm of the Ideas through the aged Parmenides. One of the most beautiful of pieces in philosophy -- so full of the dialectic, of teachings of unity, and yet so deeply human and full of warm love.
I must confess that as I age I forget much. Thus, I had to lookup Parmenides again and went to the very long explanation in the Stanford Philosophical website. Skimming it, I’m not sure what exactly it is about Parmenides philosophy you love so much. However, over time I will read his poem more carefully.
Jim Sanders: Both Parmenides and Plato were poets and philosophers.
Parmenides' own writings are left only in fragments, which makes them more difficult to read.
Plato penned a dialogue, "Parmenides," which explained the Eleatic philosopher's teachings in the form of the Platonic dialectic.
Plato tells the story of young Socrates meeting the aged Eleatic philosopher, who introduced Socrates to the theory of ideas.
Very moving, poignant dialogue of Plato.
As is not uncommon, this post needed a couple of days to digest and it was well worth the time. While I completely agree with your premise for people who are working or looking for work, it occurs to me that all of us are also looking for a situation where we are free of the concern about what we can get paid for and whether we'll find any emotional reward in doing it. Achieving that end requires that one have the resources to pay one's bills and provide for the emergencies that life occasionally tosses in our direction. I was fortunate to enjoy 50 or so years of cooking, tending bar, serving and teaching and leading people who did those things while getting paid fairly well to do so, but when the time came, I was equally fortunate in being able to say "Thanks, it's been a pleasure" and walk away with many friendships intact and a wealth of memories.
I'm now able to enjoy other aspects of life that, for better or worse, got second or third billing earlier on and that are providing me with the same satisfaction I once got from doing the things that paid my bills and provided for this future, including the value of our Social Security system. I had never understood what drives people to push beyond the point where they have enough to pay their bills, provide for those who are important to them, and make some provision for the future, but this letter gave me some insight into that. I believe that it's because people like some major public figures we can all think of don't ever develop that sense of satisfying uniqueness that each of us needs in order to say "Enough, thanks, I'm good" and turn away from a commercial focus. I cook and bake now because I enjoy it, offer advice when it's requested, and have an appreciation of the value of life that I don't think most overly wealthy people ever get. Not all; people like Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffett, MacKenzie Scott, Taylor Swift, and a few others have clearly figured it out and don't focus their time and energy on increasing their material goods, but the real losers are the ones who drive themselves unceasingly to an unclear end that they will never achieve because they don't appreciate the value of their uniqueness.