Denis,
Your response to John Beasley's essay may or may not offend him, but it
certainly does offend me. Your presumptuous tone and judgmental critique do
not address the central issue of John's point in any meaningful way.
His point - which you did not catch (I guess because the use of emotional
tones was too offensive to you) - is that the MOQ presents a sobering problem
of describing a better way of describing reality with no practical way of
actualizing that idea for a civilization.
You seem to believe that a bunch of extroverted intellectuals, (including
yourself?), can manage that gap - but the point John is making is that
apparently, the only souls empowered with the privilege of access to the
"materials" necessary to build that bridge are terribly introverted, and
socially challenged. The challenge, I might add, has a locus of control well
beyond the individual - since social norms and interactions are largely a
function of the gross mean within a culture.
Is introversion a prerequisite to insight? Probably not. But a life spent in
contemplation surely has a distinct advantage over a person wholly immersed
in the physical 'real' world, and out of touch with their own emotional self.
The central question becomes: How can a few introverts who experience a
common epiphany and then translate it for the masses in a manner helpful for
the entire human race? It is a question that you obviously think is
meaningless. It is a question I'm certain Pirsig struggled with. I hope MOQ
focus participants do not side with your argument.
By the way, I'd like to communicate to all participants here the following
observation: There is a general tendency in the MOQ dialogue to wholly give
into the impulse of intellectualizing on matters. The intellectual jousting
that occurs here all-too-often is ultimately good only for the ego. And, even
that use is short-lived. I believe it would be beneficial to the dialogue to
entertain the nonintellectual aspects of existance also. Remember Pirsig -
"But, there are stronger human forces than logic, there always have been."
Occasionally, why not put down the scalpel and pick up something like a
violin? Or a dream? It's called 'balance' folks.
Rocky Hayes
------- End of forwarded message -------
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