Temple Grandin is so inspirational. She says "I had to sell my work and not myself." That seems like a novel idea today. But I think we need to get back to that. We are by far too self absorbed and many great ideas are being lost because we are going after the glitter and not the gold.
Grandin also makes another great point: "The autistic mind tends to be a specialist mind, good at one thing and bad at something else." I would imagine that other minds are like this too. It is probably our egos that are so multitudinous. We like to think that we can do everything well.
Here are two more beautiful points Grandin makes. 1) "The world is going to need all of the different kinds of mind to work together." 2) "I get satisfaction out of seeing stuff that makes real change in the real world. We need a lot more of that and a lot less of abstract stuff." So true!
6 comments:
One page of a well written book, whether fiction, poetry or philosophy. is like a perfect leaf left for us in nature's fall. It has more value than any political or religious sermon about something no one can prove.
DB
Thanks, DB. I understand your beautifully written comment but do no agree in some instances. Science is discovering the abstract things that are already known. The discovery of the abstract is different from creating abstraction. The complexity of the universe, for example, is being discovered every day. This is a difference from the complex derivatives that the banks developed that no one understood yet relied on that lead to eventual disastrous outcomes. (Many believe that bankers simply didn't care as the immense benefits in fees, salary and bonuses outweighed what would follow. The government wouldn't allow them to fail.) But there is something so lovely about holding in hand that "perfect leaf." There is also something wonderful about rolling in the many others too.
We are all pieces of a grand puzzle. Each piece unique and important in its own way. I like the idea of real change coming from real action spurred from dynamic, proactive thinking.
Although of a much different nature, I think there is as much superstition connected with the abstractions of science as there is in politics, economics and religion. But I think science can be afforded its abstractions, whereas I want to see a more pragmatic approach to the other three disciplines.
DB
Ah, yes, Kelly, "proactive" thinking! Is there really any other kind that's more meaningful?
"I think there is as much superstition connected with the abstractions of science as there is in politics, economics and religion. But I think science can be afforded its abstractions, whereas I want to see a more pragmatic approach to the other three disciplines."
The former sentence I completely embrace. The latter one one I do not necessarily agree with. Faith is not a science and what is thought of as pragmatic does is not necessarily in alignment. Miracles, for examples, are not pragmatic. But how we live our lives in the real world from day to day matters. A reliance on miracles is foolish, but the faith that they are all around is us re-assuring. "Faith without works is dead."
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