Lorenz Gude (lorenz@multiline.com.au)
Sun, 6 Sep 1998 16:12:05 +0100
Hello Squad,
My first post attempt. I'll just make a small comment in reaction to
Riskybiz's questions about determinism and purposelessness of life....
Riskybiz wrote..
On determinism, Pirsig states that if behavior is controlled by static
patterns it is deterministic, but freedom is when you follow undefined
Dynamic Quality.Do we choose to follow ? Could we choose not to? When do we
see this to follow? Or is it some type of spontaneous value
transition-yesterday I valued biological pleasure but today I value social
harmony?
I wanted to respond because in my experience humans do seem to have plenty
of choice in following or not following Dynamic Quality. I'd say that when
people encounter Dynamic Quality they have a wide variety of reactions.
People who's role is to maintain a particular orthodoxy might find it
alarming while a futurist or mystic might become very excited and drop
everything to develop the experience. Peter abandoning his fishing business
to follow Jesus comes to mind. However, what I expect happens most of the
time is that people encounter Dynamic Quality but can find no way to
effectively make room for it in their lives. I think that static patterns of
value - like the need to make a living - often overwhelm our ability to
follow and develop an experience of Dynamic Quality. So I think humans often
have to make a determined effort to stay with an experience of Dynamic
Quality.
To give a concrete example from my own life I discovered some years ago that
when I visit Louisiana I spontaneously begin to write and I sense that
something important is happening for me and would label it Dynamic Quality.
I have tried to dismiss it as 'impossible' 'impractical' etc. but the
experience keeps coming back. As it happens I live in Australia so working
out if indeed this experience is an intrusion of Dynamic Quality into my
life is both difficult and expensive! This has been going on for over 10
years and has proven difficult to fit into my life. I've tried to choose not
to follow it and it has continued to pester me. I have chosen to follow it
and it has proved difficult, but rewarding too. It does not seem to shift
suddenly like in the example of shifting from biological quality to Social
harmony - but I would think such shifts constitute an aspect of the
experience of Dynamic Quality.
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