#147: It Is So Obvious.

Oftentimes, we don’t see what is in plain sight. Either we don’t bother looking or we even put in too much effort trying to understand as opposed to just see.

This book was obviously sold to me in Singapore. How do I know? The price tag on the cover indicates that it cost S$26.75. It only becomes obvious once you know where to look for the clues.

The book I am talking about is «This Is water» by David Foster Wallace. I had sent copies of the book to a group of volunteers for my first ever workshop on finding your path and telling your story. The book is great, but not because I claim to understand it. I love it because it helps me reflect on how I think, what I think about and what makes me think in the first place.

The feedback on the book as received from my workshop participants was mixed. It ranged from «helpful» to «I believe I didn’t understand the book’s message».

Understanding in this context is different from understanding each other, which is what I wrote about yesterday. There is no «do this and then you will». What you get from this particular book is an invitation to decide for yourself.

«The only thing that is capital-T True in life is that you get to decide how you’re going to try to see it. This is the freedom of real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted: You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t.»

Seeing can be a selfish act. It gives meaning.

To you and only to you.