The Need for (Un)Speed
Opening Pandora’s Box
These two little Post-it notes have hung on for dear life on my laptop for trips to at least five different cities across three countries. Each time they fall off as they lose their stickiness, I pick them off the ground and hope that they still have some staying power. Miraculously they are here with me in Shanghai but now I can officially relieve them of their duty.
How we evaluate our particular feelings on a situation of less versus more depends entirely on the overall context. We generally strive for that which is meaningful in life, and thus a little bit of something (less) when timed correctly can mean a great deal. There is certain poetry in a gift of less — such as the offering of a single rose versus twelve.
On the other hand, a lot of something (more) can be particularly exciting when you’ve gotten by with so little. For instance I recall being stuck in a suburb of Dallas one summer without a car with only access to food from a 7-11. I became an expert at cooking with Bisquick. One day I wandered by foot in the blistering Dallas heat about three miles to get to a bona fide supermarket. The feeling was awesome. In later years enabled by a car however, I lack the same exhuberance when visiting the supermarket unfortunately.
It seems that there’s much greater challenge in creating meaning from less, than it might be for creating meaning from more. At the same time, from a resources standpoint less is generally cheaper than more, so less is physically easier to realize. The overarching question is how to envalue the state of less so that it feels like more. So I go back to thinking more about this for later …
6 Responses to “Meaningfulless; Meaningfulmore.”
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This makes me think of something Blaise Pascal once wrote to a close friend… “I’m sorry this letter is so long, I didn’t have time to make it shorter.”
Although the passionate feelings about “more”, the euphoria and the sense of lots to learn are obviously something we lean to, i think when working with “less” we should not try to emulate this feelings. As any euphorical state, the sense of invincibility produced by “more” is ephemeral (as described in your post).
I believe that the spiritual state to be pursued when working with “less” has something to do with minimun efects, but highly persistent ones. It is about something that, by its simplicity, is always felt as new. Just like when it hails.
Congratulations for this blog,
Yes, the determination of which is better
more or less, has all to do with your context. However, I but I find it interesting in your last paragraph that you mention it is “much greater challenge in creating meaning from less, wouldn’t you just say it is an individual’s point of view. Consider how you would feel (or the thoughts which come to mind) in these two venues: 42nd Street NY vs an idyllic beach setting. I much prefer less!
The situation you are in, the context definitely changes things. Sitting on a beach too long and you might want to end up on 42nd Street, and vice-versa. We always want what we don’t have (at least I do — and am trying to break the bad habit). Regards, John
I find this post interesting because of something I encountered while teaching English in university. In preparing students for composition I explained to them it is better to do more research than required, because it is easier to write down to an acceptable essay than up to it.
In “The Innovator’s Dilemma” the author, Christensen, lays out four steps that a product evolves through. First, it is conceptual, a possibility. Second it is contextual, available for certain audiences. Third it is logical, reliable for its audiences. Fourth, it is physical, cost effective. An essay is like that. It is a broad concept which as it is trimmed down appeals to an ever broader audience.
thought provoking
i suggest a new stickie for ponderance
“nonetheless”