What would be the forms of culture that we would say to be necessary or most inclined to foster in the individual that blowing of the flame?
I think the most accessible form for most people is music
And music to me is the most representational form of art because I think that the world is made out of patterns
And we perceive some patterns as objects but fundamentally it’s patterns and what you want is all the patterns of the world to interact harmoniously in something where every element is related intelligibly to every other element
And I think that when your life is in harmony that you can feel that
When you’re dancing to beautiful music you’re acting that out
The music is the music of the spheres and you’re participating in the patterning of your being in accordance with that structure and that gives you an intimation of transcendence
I think the most accessible form for most people is music
And music to me is the most representational form of art because I think that the world is made out of patterns
And we perceive some patterns as objects but fundamentally it’s patterns and what you want is all the patterns of the world to interact harmoniously in something where every element is related intelligibly to every other element
And I think that when your life is in harmony that you can feel that
When you’re dancing to beautiful music you’re acting that out
The music is the music of the spheres and you’re participating in the patterning of your being in accordance with that structure and that gives you an intimation of transcendence
I’ve had situations in my lab where I had underperforming graduate students
And one of the things that was really awful about that was that it was really hard on the high performing graduate students
You know, because they felt that even being in the same category as the people who weren’t working hard and pulling their weight devalued what they were doing
You know, and that’s exactly right
And so this is also why there’s a conscientiousness trait and an agreeableness trait
Cos conscientious people judge you on your accomplishments, right
And one of the things that was really awful about that was that it was really hard on the high performing graduate students
You know, because they felt that even being in the same category as the people who weren’t working hard and pulling their weight devalued what they were doing
You know, and that’s exactly right
And so this is also why there’s a conscientiousness trait and an agreeableness trait
Cos conscientious people judge you on your accomplishments, right
Finding out what you’re doing wrong is not a pleasant experience
And it means that you have to sacrifice part of yourself
Usually a burned out, stupid, bitter, corrupt
Arrogant, nasty, vengeful part of yourself
But nonetheless part that you like
I think that room for those incremental improvements
Exists within everyone’s grasp
And I think that it’s a humble thing to do to ask how you could improve incrementally
Without interfering with anyone else
Like it’s your problem not their’s
But I think that the consequences of maintained incremental improvement are anything but incremental
You get compound interest on incremental improvement
You know, there’s another rule in the New Testament called the Matthew Principle, economists use it
And it means that you have to sacrifice part of yourself
Usually a burned out, stupid, bitter, corrupt
Arrogant, nasty, vengeful part of yourself
But nonetheless part that you like
I think that room for those incremental improvements
Exists within everyone’s grasp
And I think that it’s a humble thing to do to ask how you could improve incrementally
Without interfering with anyone else
Like it’s your problem not their’s
But I think that the consequences of maintained incremental improvement are anything but incremental
You get compound interest on incremental improvement
You know, there’s another rule in the New Testament called the Matthew Principle, economists use it
We don’t understand the world
Like, I do think the world is more like a musical masterpiece than it is like anything else
And things are oddly connected
Now, you know, I know that sounds New Agey and it sounds metaphysical
I’m saying bluntly that this is speculative, right
I’m feeling out beyond the limits of my knowledge
I’m not willing to dismiss
The mysterious
The mysterious
I’m not willing to dismiss the mysterious
I’ve experienced the mysterious in a variety of different ways and it’s very mysterious
Very mysterious
Like, I do think the world is more like a musical masterpiece than it is like anything else
And things are oddly connected
Now, you know, I know that sounds New Agey and it sounds metaphysical
I’m saying bluntly that this is speculative, right
I’m feeling out beyond the limits of my knowledge
I’m not willing to dismiss
The mysterious
The mysterious
I’m not willing to dismiss the mysterious
I’ve experienced the mysterious in a variety of different ways and it’s very mysterious
Very mysterious
I think that you can get glimpses of Heaven and glimpses of Hell
I think that you can see people who live in Hell
You walk down the street and see them
For them it’s eternal
Because their pain is so overwhelming
That it feels like it will last forever
It’s also something that can engulf everyone
And has
Is there a metaphysical reality to it beyond that?
I suspect so but I don’t know
I think that the Heaven-like experience points to the way that things could be
And we don’t know how things could be if we really got our acts together
We don’t know
We spend a lot of time in our fallen condition
Wasting time
Being resentful
Working counterproductively
Hurting other people
And cursing fate itself
I think that you can see people who live in Hell
You walk down the street and see them
For them it’s eternal
Because their pain is so overwhelming
That it feels like it will last forever
It’s also something that can engulf everyone
And has
Is there a metaphysical reality to it beyond that?
I suspect so but I don’t know
I think that the Heaven-like experience points to the way that things could be
And we don’t know how things could be if we really got our acts together
We don’t know
We spend a lot of time in our fallen condition
Wasting time
Being resentful
Working counterproductively
Hurting other people
And cursing fate itself