Platt: DQ did not exist in ZMM. I would say most responses to change are static, i.e., predictable.
Andre: Hi Platt, Arlo, Krimel and All, this Dynamic vs static issue has come up before somewhere (LC?). Can I summarise the discussion as centering around the question: when is an experience Dynamic and when is an experience a 'normal' reaction to something? Pirsig is reasonably clear about the differences between the two: Dynamic Quality is experienced as a "Dynamic RELIEF from static patterns' as in the hurricane example, or a Dynamic 'SHATTERING of static patterns, as in the heart attack example (Lila pp121-122, my emphasis). Both examples suggest the exposure to a unforeseen/ 'out of the blue',unexpected event, whereby all assumptions about routine, predictability, normality/ stability etc are either temporarily suspended or destroyed. '...and in that moment only Dynamic Quality is available to him'. (op.cit) These experiences are not your everyday, run of the mill (static/stable) occurences. These are 'special'. Compare this to the quality response of an organism to its environment (ZMM p244). It is this experience, of low or high quality, from which we have invented analogues upon analogues and in this way have developed static/ stable/ predictable patterns captured in laws and customs and have provided us our (cultural) glasses. It is within this realm that inorganic and organic response patterns have been 'stabilised' .. Social responses have been 'customised' and intellectual responses have been 'formalised'. I suppose what I am getting at is that a DQ event is one whereby one is 'confronted' with the un-likely within the likely, the un-truth within the truth, the unpredictable within the predictable, the illusion within the reality. That these experiences dramaticaly challenge one's static patterns, and that , after the event these static patterns will 'never be the same again'. I.e. a re-patterning will take place. I think that when Pirsig says that "These patterns can't by themselves perceive or adjust to Dynamic Quality. Only a living being can do that' (Lila, p165) he suggest the degree to which a living pattern can perceive or adjust depends upon the level of freedom achieved. An amoeba can't pack its bags and migrate to the Bahamas/or China. Other animals can only run and hope the fire stops somewhere, or that there is food somewhere else. Man can fight the fire/ or the flood/ or take measures to reduce the impact of an earth quake. Man grows food, learns, and has developed a variety of ways to adapt (biologically,socially and intellectually) to many different environments and conditions. To return to the opening line: there appears to be a distinction between 'events' and these came to be designated with DQ (dramatic i.e 'suspension/ shattering) and q e (quality event), (a sunset, walk through the woods,kiss from your wife, stepping in dog shit, doing the dishes etc.) Or does this confuse the whole issue? Any further thoughts? For what it is worth. Andre Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
