Partrick Ridge, Mount Veeder Appellation, Napa Valley, California,
USA
March 11, 2021
This conversation showcases a
brilliance
and a beauty and a
minimalism
of distinguishing. Be careful: it doesn't showcase the power and
elegance and apply-ability of distinctions. Most distinguished
distinctions are distinguished then applied ie used - indeed, they're
only valuable when they're applied. But in this conversation I'll look
at another class of distinguishing that's just to be appreciated.
Watch: appreciating it without even applying it, makes something
powerfully transformational available.
To tease this out, let's begin with distinguishing something we've all
distinguished:
balance.
What was it like for you when you climbed on to your first
"two-wheeler" as a child and, after falling one or three times,
distinguished
balance?
It altered what's possible for you in life, yes? It was a major
breakthrough
for you. Yet you can't describe
balance
for me in a way that gives me an apply-able understanding of it if I
haven't learned to ride a two-wheeler myself and distinguished it for
myself, yes?
"Balance"
is a distinction that lives only when it's applied. It doesn't live in
understanding. Neither for that matter does it even
require understanding. You don't get
balance
that way. You get it by distinguishing it. Then you put it to use when
you apply it. Doing so, elicits that certain wonder and
joy in the distinguishing of it - just as with other
distinctions whose power can be applied once we've gotten them, without
any understanding being required. OK, that's that order of
distinguishing.
Then there's this order of distinguishing which in its
simplicity and elegance,
demonstrates
a
brilliance
and beauty in distinguishing, that inspires us to similarly master
distinguishing distinctions in a way that's as inviting, exciting, and
inspiring. It's the kind of distinguishing to be
celebrated
for its own sake as it teases out the trifecta of
"life", "living", and "you". Here's how
Werner
distinguishes them.
Listen for
/ be knocked back by their
brilliant,
terse
simplicity, and
tautological
inter-relatedness:
LIFE:
we live in it;
LIVING:
engaging with life;
YOU:
for whom life exists, and who does the living.
For now, don't angle to apply it. Just stand in it. Hold it up for its
light. Try on its
minimalism
and
marvelous
spartan clarity. Immerse yourself in the
bright
space this distinguishing opens up and enlivens. One of the answers to
the eons-old question
"Who are you?"
may be "I'm the one distinguishing distinguishing.". This
trifecta of distinctions
shows
distinguishing distinguishing to be an erudite, respected undertaking.
Keep on trying it on until you get to the "Oh WOW!!!" ie the "A-Ha!" it
packs.
This is what's possible with distinguishing distinguishing, even prior
to distinguishing distinctions to apply. It requires nothing more be
said or added. It's complete. It's stand-alone. It's also (dare
I say this?)
true,
yes? Keep on trying it on until you get to the
rich,
profound
quietness
that goeswith it (as
Alan Watts
may have said).
Postscript:
The presentation, delivery, and style of
Life, Living, And You
are all my own work.
The ideas recreated in
Life, Living, And You
were first originated, distinguished, and articulated by
Werner Erhard.
