Folks,
Normally I wouldn't butt in on such a direct conversation, but since it is
in my in-box AND I feel like I have a contribution, I am gonna throw out my
thoughts(hopefully brief)
PLATT:
>> No where do I find anything to suggest Pirsig believes that
> >reality is whatever you like.
ERIN:
>I nor Pirsig suggest that.
Glad to hear it. So can you tell this low level ignoramus just what you
do suggest about reality?
Platt
Now, I read a wonderful book called 'Illusions' by the same guy who wrote
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (i.e. I am blasted if I can remember his name
at this moment)
It has a sub-book called (loosely) the Messiah's Handbook. I won't go into
too much detail, but this book is centered around reality being strictly
based on your perceptions. Being already familiar with Pirsig's writings, I
was able to digest this book readily. In truth, I think I will be digesting
it for some time to come, much like we're doing with Pirsig. The point is,
he used an extreme set of circumstances in a story to illustrate just this
point; reality is whatever you like.
Those who go around disbelieving concrete realities that are smack dab in
their face are going to find a LOT of disappointment or find themselves in
the cracker house. Phaedrus discovered that society will only tolerate so
much independent thinking in the guise of making reality whatever you like.
I keep using the phrase from above, even though Pirsig didn't.
But I do believe that one does not HAVE to accept societal norms without
first subjecting these norms to analytical thought. THAT is what I think is
suggested by Pirsig. One cannot disbelieve the bus that is about to run
over you out of existence. Someone else will enjoy the adrenaline rush as
they wait in the street to see how close that bus will get before they make
an acrobatic leap out of the way. The majority of people (who escape the
collision) will be upset with their narrow miss. The few daredevils would
be glowing afterwards with their excitement.
So, if one wants to preface the phrase with an understanding like above,
one could suggest that "reality is what you like"
One more example that is more grounded in the real world. I am in inside
sales for an international company. I stay rooted in my office but sell to
and service a large geographic region via phone and email. Sometimes,
merely to preserve sanity, I can actually accomplish a neat little trick.
It is a truth that whenever you sell products and/or services, you are
going to have customers who are dissatisfied with some aspect of their
purchase. Dissatisfaction can grow from any number of sources, including
customer ignorance. To take what would usually be a headache customer
scenario and view it as an opportunity to improve the customer's situation
can be a great way of avoiding a lot of stress and hassle. All I had to do
was to change the reality of the situation.
Sorry I got so long-winded.
Bartz
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