Gasp! I am beginning to get the feeling that my hold on this blog has been slipping a bit. No thought-provoking or original stuff for a while now! Huh? No. Not just writer's block. Maybe thinker's block. :-P But I'm hoping that this post is the turning point and the next few weeks turn out to be different and provide me with some cerebral gossip for this blog! Meanwhile, here's something that I think is good blog-material.
If you happen to be looking for a good example of serendipity, go no further. A week or so back I tweeted this “Some questions will remain unanswered. Take them or take leave of them”. Terry responded to the tweet and led me to a wonderful post – on his blog - that digs deeper into this thought.
My tweet, ironically, did not arise from deep thought and was more of a superficial response to mundane happenings in life. So, it was exciting to be led to a deeper level of thinking from where I was. Terry’s post says: Stop looking for answers….look for movement. Ask better questions and be comfortable with ambiguity! Attractive propositions for those who are exhausted in their search for certainty and predictability in this complex world and want someone to actually tell them – knock it into their heads - that it’s time they stopped being so naïve!
Interestingly, I have a huge fancy for idealism and perfection. It is paradoxical but sometimes this attitude, arguably, limits one’s thinking. Because such a person might continue to pursue the same thought for too long a time! She might not want to give up or adopt an alternative approach because of her need to “persevere”. And she wants to do a good job of everything she takes up. She needs to look good in her own eyes and there is nothing she doesn’t want to know. Bah. Sounds difficult? I guess it really is important to stop and reassess one’s attitude and expectations. Or just step back and take a look. This is the time when one needs to ask a different question like Terry’s post advocates. Or, perhaps, just let things be. Specializing in the impossible as Terry puts it, is such an intriguing thought.
The truth however is that for those in the typical corporate world, such a philosophy is rarely accepted by the community at large. Quarterly growth must be predictable and certain and....is nonnegotiable. ;-)
2 comments:
Nimmy :)
it sure is tough to even contemplate not putting in your all into every endeavour. but one has to also acknowledge the fact that the picture is bigger than a detail (ususally the subject of perfection). and as much as an important detail defines the picture, it is the larger scope that gives the detail any credence in the first place. very symbiotic, this.today, more so. very intriguing indeed.
Tej.
Tej: Thanks so much for the interesting response! :-) You've given this post an additional flavour and made me think about yet another aspect of this topic - the "larger scope" and how that must motivate one to perhaps look away from the 'detail' when need be.
When I wrote the post, I was only thinking about *completing* the task - could refer to either a detail or the whole task - and whether one needs to ask a different question in order to complete it! But like you indicate, sometimes, you need to step back and take a look at (just) the bigger picture instead. As long as you know you are moving in the right direction and have an eye on the bigger picture, you can perhaps afford to immerse yourself in the details and look up just occasionally! Don't know if I have accurately articulated the thoughts your comment triggered off in me....! :-P
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