Another great piece. Thank you. I am a great fan of Douglas Adams and your essay brought back some great memories. And as you know, only one thing is certain, and that is that nothing is certain. Yet again you have brightened up my Sunday morning.
I find Elon Musk fascinating and loved this piece. Personally I think that while nobody can be sure what the meaning is, it’s also healthy to identify a meaning and purpose for yourself. I think we all need an organizing principle to our lives, and without one we flounder. I think it’s important to have a cohesive worldview you’ve developed through curiosity while remaining willing to adapt that worldview in response to new, carefully considered information aligning to your values. We are undoubtedly living in a meaning crisis, but I think on a deeper level, it’s a crisis of faith because people have lost faith in the prevailing institutions and socially, our values have shifted to the temporal, like career, rather than the transcendental, like beauty, truth and goodness. While this loss of faith is warranted because our institutions have proven themselves untrustworthy, I think the onus has shifted to the individual to define meaning for themselves. Many people now find faith in their political party or some other vessel of power, and that seems to deepen the meaning crisis rather than alleviate it. Sadly we’ve all been dumbed down and become cyborg-like because of technology addictions, but the task before us should we choose to accept it, I believe, is to find and pursue our own ideas of meaning.
'...we confuse our subjective reality with the objective one.'
That's very true. And we hold on to our subjective reality as it gives us a sense of comfort and security, despite the fact that it may not make sense and is irrational.
I enjoy Hitchhiker’s Guide mostly for the sandwich maker’s porn:
There is an art to the business of making sandwiches which it is given to few ever to find the time to explore in depth. It is a simple task, but the opportunities for satisfaction are many and profound: choosing the right bread, for instance. The Sandwich Maker had spent many months in daily consultation and experiment with Grarp the Baker and eventually they had created a loaf of exactly the consistency that was dense enough to slice thinly and neatly, while still being light, moist and having the best of that fine nutty flavor which best enhanced the savor of roast Perfectly Normal Beast flesh.
There was also the geometry of the slice to be refined: the precise relationships between the width and height of the slice and also its thickness which would give the proper sense of bulk and weight to the finished sandwich -- here again, lightness was a virtue, but so too were firmness, generosity and that promise of succulence and savor that is the hallmark of a truly intense sandwich experience.
The proper tools, of course, were crucial, and many were the days that the Sandwich Maker, when not engaged with the Baker at his oven, would spend with Strinder the Tool Maker, weighing and balancing knives, taking them to the forge and back again. Suppleness, strength, keenness of edge, length and balance were all enthusiastically debated, theories put forward, tested, refined, and many was the evening when the Sandwich Maker and the Tool Maker could be seen silhouetted against the light of the setting sun and the Tool Maker's forge making slow sweeping movements through the air, trying one knife after another, comparing the weight of this one with the balance of another, the suppleness of a third and the handle binding of a fourth.
Three knives altogether were required. First, there was the knife for the slicing of the bread: a firm, authoritative blade, which imposed a clear and defining will on a loaf. Then there was the butter-spreading knife, which was a whippy little number but still with a firm backbone to it. Early versions had been a little too whippy, but now the combination of flexibility with a core of strength was exactly right to achieve the maximum smoothness and grace of spread.
The chief among the knives, of course, was the carving knife. This was the knife that would not merely impose its will on the medium through which it moved, as did the bread knife. It must work with it, be guided by the grain of the meat, to achieve slices of the most exquisite consistency and translucency, that would slide away in filmy folds from the main hunk of meat. The Sandwich Maker would then flip each sheet with a smooth flick of the wrist onto the beautifully proportioned lower bread slice, trim it with four deft strokes and then at last perform the magic that the children of the village so longed to gather round and watch with rapt attention and wonder. With just four more dexterous flips of the knife he would assemble the trimmings into a perfectly fitting jigsaw of pieces on top of the primary slice. For every sandwich the size and shape of the trimmings were different, but the Sandwich Maker would always effortlessly and without hesitation assemble them into a pattern which fitted perfectly. A second layer of meat and a second layer of trimmings, and the main act of creation would now be accomplished.
I've only read book 1 and am halfway through book 2, but I plan to read through the entire 5 book series in the next couple weeks. This little preview of what's to come is a real treat! 🥪
Just read this quote from David Brooks: "This theory is based on the idea that exposure to genius has the power to expand your consciousness. If you spend a lot of time with genius, your mind will end up bigger and broader than if you spend your time only with run-of-the-mill stuff. The theory of maximum taste says that each person’s mind is defined by its upper limit—the best that it habitually consumes and is capable of consuming."
So spending time with Elon Musk, if only indirectly, seems like a good idea.
I have watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy so many times I have lost count. That is why I have been fascinated with the physics that has defined the past one-hundred-plus years. According to current physicists' theory, dark matter and dark energy comprise 27% and 68% of the universe. With the remaining 5% of measurable matter accounted for, scientists routinely dismiss this 95% in theories yet proven, string theory, fifth dimension, etc. Humans have explored this intuitive and creative force since knowledge became our master, enslaving us to this existential conundrum. The Everything Everywhere All at Once movie uses this conundrum as a device to explore our current relationships similarly. Accepting our ignorance frees us to use what has been given and yet not understood.
I love this. I've only read the first book and half of the 2nd, but I'm planning to read through the entire 5-book series and then I plan to watch some of the TV series on Youtube and the 2005 film!
That is a plan; the internet now provides easy access to the past. I have only watched the movie, and my semi-retirement has provided some free time to explore areas of interest in more depth. I find it interesting that long before the internet, many areas of study show that humans have had their finger on the pulse of philosophical questions alongside modern discoveries. Perhaps even before, questioning and possibly leading to those discoveries.
I’ve noticed that trend, too! Over the past couple years, I’ve been reading many more books older than myself as the insights within are incredibly poignant and relevant to our modern society. Realizing how much the people who came before us knew leaves me in such awe and wonder.
I search Project Gutenberg for old, out of copyright books on topics of interest to me and load them on my Kindle. There are thousands of old books available for free on almost any topic you want.
We have so much wisdom and knowledge just a couple of keyboard clicks away. What a time to be alive, especially since we have the luxury of leisure, if we choose wisely, instead of unrelenting drudgery and need.
And I agree with you! As long as we use a decent portion of our leisure time productively, we can learn so much. It truly is the best time to be alive (thus far)
An interesting muse, Jen. I started wondering why we do the things we do some decades ago when I met the first of the teachers who significantly impacted my adult life. Art Miller claimed to be able to map human motivation and I decided I wasn't happy with his definition and went on an odyssey to learn its nature myself. The answer I found, while not as brassy as '42', is equally simple. I think humans act only to support their values, it is the universal why.
That's a fascinating answer. I agree that we act to support our values, but I also think many people struggle with consciously knowing what their values actually are.
I agree. People do not know their values consciously. If asked, they will reel off a few of their culture's aspirational values of the moment. We're all on board with diversity and equality, right? These are aspects of Strengthening Community, in my view, and as I believe everyone has the same 5 core values, I too support those aspects - as I define them. [Equality is a very subjective term] But I don't prioritise them very highly. Other things matter much more, most of the time.
I think, in general, most of us act to uphold our values unconsciously. For example, we don't think "Ah, I had a rough day, I'm feeling like I just want to indulge my whims (an aspect of Pursuing Comfort, the foundational human value), so I'm just going to eat chocolate and watch TV." No, we just grab a seat and switch it on, pleased to be away from work for a while.
you’ve piqued my curiosity on this topic of values—do you have a favorite book or resource on understanding the values people hold unconsciously? I’d love to understand this better
On 42...... The English have a habit of shortening well used phrases to speed conversations. In establishments serving afternoon tea its quite common for a Maitre D to ask how many for tea. In Adams case: For tea, two.
Thank you, Jen. This piece is so rich with meaning, actually.
I believe in God, and Jesus Christ. I am, but a thread in the glorious tapestry of life. How I fit in at any given moment defines my purpose. Am I supposed to know that specific purpose? I think it doesn’t matter that I know because my thread is unique and important to the pattern.
You don’t need to know, but you need to have faith that your contribution matters.
The Vogon guard's justification for staying in a mindless job hit a nerve. I've definitely been guilty of staying in situations that weren't fulfilling, simply because they were familiar or offered a sense of security. But life is too short to spend it doing work that doesn't light you up. It takes courage to step off the beaten path and pursue your passion, but the rewards – in terms of personal fulfillment and overall happiness – are immeasurable. As the saying goes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
This is Gold. Of all the articles I have read recently, this is the only one that makes any sense. The uncertainty of our present day is thrown into sense by the writing of Douglas Adams.
It is more than thirty years ago since I heard it as a radio play on BBC Radio 4, and it was such a piece of fiction but so close to a possible truth that it had to be admired and understood for what it was.
Thank you for sharing this insite into the universe with us.
Lots of comments this week - either I was slow off the mark or you’ve hit a subject people are relating to in droves (or something else I haven’t thought of). On point 2, Ignorance, I was talking with friends on Friday, some of whom have tens, and remembering back to when I was a teen and knew everything, right up till I was about 25 and suddenly realised I knew almost nothing about most stuff. I loved watching the Hitchhikers Guide as a kid. Thanks for the happy memories.
Because I didn’t see Douglas Adams as a philosopher, I was able to really enjoy Hitch.Guide. I read it in my 20ies. What intrigued me the most was his sense of humor. Now, when someone really powerful says he has read philosophy and then went to this humorous book and said “oh, now I see”, that scares me a bit. But, yeah, don’t panic. By the way, Douglas Adams really cared for endangered species, for animals and nature.
Another great piece. Thank you. I am a great fan of Douglas Adams and your essay brought back some great memories. And as you know, only one thing is certain, and that is that nothing is certain. Yet again you have brightened up my Sunday morning.
Thank you, Dave! 🤍
Halfway through Restaurant at the End of the Universe now and going to continue on with the remaining 3 books
I find Elon Musk fascinating and loved this piece. Personally I think that while nobody can be sure what the meaning is, it’s also healthy to identify a meaning and purpose for yourself. I think we all need an organizing principle to our lives, and without one we flounder. I think it’s important to have a cohesive worldview you’ve developed through curiosity while remaining willing to adapt that worldview in response to new, carefully considered information aligning to your values. We are undoubtedly living in a meaning crisis, but I think on a deeper level, it’s a crisis of faith because people have lost faith in the prevailing institutions and socially, our values have shifted to the temporal, like career, rather than the transcendental, like beauty, truth and goodness. While this loss of faith is warranted because our institutions have proven themselves untrustworthy, I think the onus has shifted to the individual to define meaning for themselves. Many people now find faith in their political party or some other vessel of power, and that seems to deepen the meaning crisis rather than alleviate it. Sadly we’ve all been dumbed down and become cyborg-like because of technology addictions, but the task before us should we choose to accept it, I believe, is to find and pursue our own ideas of meaning.
brilliantly put
'...we confuse our subjective reality with the objective one.'
That's very true. And we hold on to our subjective reality as it gives us a sense of comfort and security, despite the fact that it may not make sense and is irrational.
so true 🙏
I enjoy Hitchhiker’s Guide mostly for the sandwich maker’s porn:
There is an art to the business of making sandwiches which it is given to few ever to find the time to explore in depth. It is a simple task, but the opportunities for satisfaction are many and profound: choosing the right bread, for instance. The Sandwich Maker had spent many months in daily consultation and experiment with Grarp the Baker and eventually they had created a loaf of exactly the consistency that was dense enough to slice thinly and neatly, while still being light, moist and having the best of that fine nutty flavor which best enhanced the savor of roast Perfectly Normal Beast flesh.
There was also the geometry of the slice to be refined: the precise relationships between the width and height of the slice and also its thickness which would give the proper sense of bulk and weight to the finished sandwich -- here again, lightness was a virtue, but so too were firmness, generosity and that promise of succulence and savor that is the hallmark of a truly intense sandwich experience.
The proper tools, of course, were crucial, and many were the days that the Sandwich Maker, when not engaged with the Baker at his oven, would spend with Strinder the Tool Maker, weighing and balancing knives, taking them to the forge and back again. Suppleness, strength, keenness of edge, length and balance were all enthusiastically debated, theories put forward, tested, refined, and many was the evening when the Sandwich Maker and the Tool Maker could be seen silhouetted against the light of the setting sun and the Tool Maker's forge making slow sweeping movements through the air, trying one knife after another, comparing the weight of this one with the balance of another, the suppleness of a third and the handle binding of a fourth.
Three knives altogether were required. First, there was the knife for the slicing of the bread: a firm, authoritative blade, which imposed a clear and defining will on a loaf. Then there was the butter-spreading knife, which was a whippy little number but still with a firm backbone to it. Early versions had been a little too whippy, but now the combination of flexibility with a core of strength was exactly right to achieve the maximum smoothness and grace of spread.
The chief among the knives, of course, was the carving knife. This was the knife that would not merely impose its will on the medium through which it moved, as did the bread knife. It must work with it, be guided by the grain of the meat, to achieve slices of the most exquisite consistency and translucency, that would slide away in filmy folds from the main hunk of meat. The Sandwich Maker would then flip each sheet with a smooth flick of the wrist onto the beautifully proportioned lower bread slice, trim it with four deft strokes and then at last perform the magic that the children of the village so longed to gather round and watch with rapt attention and wonder. With just four more dexterous flips of the knife he would assemble the trimmings into a perfectly fitting jigsaw of pieces on top of the primary slice. For every sandwich the size and shape of the trimmings were different, but the Sandwich Maker would always effortlessly and without hesitation assemble them into a pattern which fitted perfectly. A second layer of meat and a second layer of trimmings, and the main act of creation would now be accomplished.
His humor is otherworldly!
I've only read book 1 and am halfway through book 2, but I plan to read through the entire 5 book series in the next couple weeks. This little preview of what's to come is a real treat! 🥪
Just read this quote from David Brooks: "This theory is based on the idea that exposure to genius has the power to expand your consciousness. If you spend a lot of time with genius, your mind will end up bigger and broader than if you spend your time only with run-of-the-mill stuff. The theory of maximum taste says that each person’s mind is defined by its upper limit—the best that it habitually consumes and is capable of consuming."
So spending time with Elon Musk, if only indirectly, seems like a good idea.
I love this! And I couldn't agree more.
Thank you, John!
I have watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy so many times I have lost count. That is why I have been fascinated with the physics that has defined the past one-hundred-plus years. According to current physicists' theory, dark matter and dark energy comprise 27% and 68% of the universe. With the remaining 5% of measurable matter accounted for, scientists routinely dismiss this 95% in theories yet proven, string theory, fifth dimension, etc. Humans have explored this intuitive and creative force since knowledge became our master, enslaving us to this existential conundrum. The Everything Everywhere All at Once movie uses this conundrum as a device to explore our current relationships similarly. Accepting our ignorance frees us to use what has been given and yet not understood.
I love this. I've only read the first book and half of the 2nd, but I'm planning to read through the entire 5-book series and then I plan to watch some of the TV series on Youtube and the 2005 film!
Try listening to them on Audible. They did a great job producing them.
That is a plan; the internet now provides easy access to the past. I have only watched the movie, and my semi-retirement has provided some free time to explore areas of interest in more depth. I find it interesting that long before the internet, many areas of study show that humans have had their finger on the pulse of philosophical questions alongside modern discoveries. Perhaps even before, questioning and possibly leading to those discoveries.
I’ve noticed that trend, too! Over the past couple years, I’ve been reading many more books older than myself as the insights within are incredibly poignant and relevant to our modern society. Realizing how much the people who came before us knew leaves me in such awe and wonder.
I search Project Gutenberg for old, out of copyright books on topics of interest to me and load them on my Kindle. There are thousands of old books available for free on almost any topic you want.
We have so much wisdom and knowledge just a couple of keyboard clicks away. What a time to be alive, especially since we have the luxury of leisure, if we choose wisely, instead of unrelenting drudgery and need.
Project Gutenberg rocks!
And I agree with you! As long as we use a decent portion of our leisure time productively, we can learn so much. It truly is the best time to be alive (thus far)
Must read 💎
🙏
An interesting muse, Jen. I started wondering why we do the things we do some decades ago when I met the first of the teachers who significantly impacted my adult life. Art Miller claimed to be able to map human motivation and I decided I wasn't happy with his definition and went on an odyssey to learn its nature myself. The answer I found, while not as brassy as '42', is equally simple. I think humans act only to support their values, it is the universal why.
That's a fascinating answer. I agree that we act to support our values, but I also think many people struggle with consciously knowing what their values actually are.
I agree. People do not know their values consciously. If asked, they will reel off a few of their culture's aspirational values of the moment. We're all on board with diversity and equality, right? These are aspects of Strengthening Community, in my view, and as I believe everyone has the same 5 core values, I too support those aspects - as I define them. [Equality is a very subjective term] But I don't prioritise them very highly. Other things matter much more, most of the time.
I think, in general, most of us act to uphold our values unconsciously. For example, we don't think "Ah, I had a rough day, I'm feeling like I just want to indulge my whims (an aspect of Pursuing Comfort, the foundational human value), so I'm just going to eat chocolate and watch TV." No, we just grab a seat and switch it on, pleased to be away from work for a while.
you’ve piqued my curiosity on this topic of values—do you have a favorite book or resource on understanding the values people hold unconsciously? I’d love to understand this better
I sent you a message in reply to your question, did you get it, Jen?
No I don’t believe so! Where did you send the msg to?
I thought I had sent a DM, obviously it didn't go through. I resent it in a email to your Proton address.
It's so long since I read these ... I hope I still have them!
If you don't find them, I recommend this boxset! Currently midway through The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
https://a.co/d/5BkWzuy
So you don’t know the question yet? Enjoy, LOL
On 42...... The English have a habit of shortening well used phrases to speed conversations. In establishments serving afternoon tea its quite common for a Maitre D to ask how many for tea. In Adams case: For tea, two.
Thank you, Jen. This piece is so rich with meaning, actually.
I believe in God, and Jesus Christ. I am, but a thread in the glorious tapestry of life. How I fit in at any given moment defines my purpose. Am I supposed to know that specific purpose? I think it doesn’t matter that I know because my thread is unique and important to the pattern.
You don’t need to know, but you need to have faith that your contribution matters.
Thank you for your work!!!!
This kind of joy is difficult to come by.... points well made!!!!
The Vogon guard's justification for staying in a mindless job hit a nerve. I've definitely been guilty of staying in situations that weren't fulfilling, simply because they were familiar or offered a sense of security. But life is too short to spend it doing work that doesn't light you up. It takes courage to step off the beaten path and pursue your passion, but the rewards – in terms of personal fulfillment and overall happiness – are immeasurable. As the saying goes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
This is Gold. Of all the articles I have read recently, this is the only one that makes any sense. The uncertainty of our present day is thrown into sense by the writing of Douglas Adams.
It is more than thirty years ago since I heard it as a radio play on BBC Radio 4, and it was such a piece of fiction but so close to a possible truth that it had to be admired and understood for what it was.
Thank you for sharing this insite into the universe with us.
Lots of comments this week - either I was slow off the mark or you’ve hit a subject people are relating to in droves (or something else I haven’t thought of). On point 2, Ignorance, I was talking with friends on Friday, some of whom have tens, and remembering back to when I was a teen and knew everything, right up till I was about 25 and suddenly realised I knew almost nothing about most stuff. I loved watching the Hitchhikers Guide as a kid. Thanks for the happy memories.
Because I didn’t see Douglas Adams as a philosopher, I was able to really enjoy Hitch.Guide. I read it in my 20ies. What intrigued me the most was his sense of humor. Now, when someone really powerful says he has read philosophy and then went to this humorous book and said “oh, now I see”, that scares me a bit. But, yeah, don’t panic. By the way, Douglas Adams really cared for endangered species, for animals and nature.