Comments on: Dialing In http://www.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/ Meditations on strategy and life Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:25:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Gris http://www.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/#comment-10624 Gris Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:51:05 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/#comment-10624 Great post Ryan. I was thinking about a similar notion today, except with a lot more pessimism than in your post. I was at a book reading of some McCarthy-esque grizzled, old (self proclaimed oldest living first time published) author and the excerpt he chose to read from his book was about being fresh out of university and enjoying that process when you have all the ideas but you don't know what to do with them. As he spoke, I thought, shit, that's sort of where I'm at now. At 27 I find myself wishing that I was 21 again and discovering new ideas all the time -- like that post you wrote before about ideas that shake your cognitive foundation. Those type of revelations are few and far between these days, and if they happen it's usually a modification of an existing idea rather than a new one. Yet, after listening to this old author, I'm thinking I really need to enjoy right now. I need to enjoy these moments where you really contemplate your knowledge and begin to form concrete perspectives about the world because soon enough I'll be looking back on, and yearning for, these formative years. The pessimism came when I projected the process into the long-term. It seems that eventually, when we harness all the knowledge we've encountered, that it's a consumable experience, not sustainable. That all we're working towards is an inevitably fallible conclusion based upon life experience. In that light, I think it's good to go for that angry thrashing about run once in a while. Contemplation of knowledge is absolutely crucial, but I think creating new knowledge, new perspectives, new experience is equally as valuable and derived from those runs where you have an un-centered purpose. It leads back into the whole corrupt DNA argument we see the internet exposing each new day. If you're not constantly evolving from the roots, you're going to grow stale fast. I guess what I'm saying is that as soon as your runs become too sanitary or commonplace, it might be time to burst into an angry sprint for a few days. The energy breeds ignorance and misconception but it'll also provide new material for you to mull over in future runs. Youthful energy, or any raw energy for that matter, will trump convention eventually. Great post Ryan.

I was thinking about a similar notion today, except with a lot more pessimism than in your post. I was at a book reading of some McCarthy-esque grizzled, old (self proclaimed oldest living first time published) author and the excerpt he chose to read from his book was about being fresh out of university and enjoying that process when you have all the ideas but you don’t know what to do with them. As he spoke, I thought, shit, that’s sort of where I’m at now. At 27 I find myself wishing that I was 21 again and discovering new ideas all the time — like that post you wrote before about ideas that shake your cognitive foundation. Those type of revelations are few and far between these days, and if they happen it’s usually a modification of an existing idea rather than a new one. Yet, after listening to this old author, I’m thinking I really need to enjoy right now. I need to enjoy these moments where you really contemplate your knowledge and begin to form concrete perspectives about the world because soon enough I’ll be looking back on, and yearning for, these formative years.

The pessimism came when I projected the process into the long-term. It seems that eventually, when we harness all the knowledge we’ve encountered, that it’s a consumable experience, not sustainable. That all we’re working towards is an inevitably fallible conclusion based upon life experience.

In that light, I think it’s good to go for that angry thrashing about run once in a while. Contemplation of knowledge is absolutely crucial, but I think creating new knowledge, new perspectives, new experience is equally as valuable and derived from those runs where you have an un-centered purpose. It leads back into the whole corrupt DNA argument we see the internet exposing each new day. If you’re not constantly evolving from the roots, you’re going to grow stale fast.

I guess what I’m saying is that as soon as your runs become too sanitary or commonplace, it might be time to burst into an angry sprint for a few days. The energy breeds ignorance and misconception but it’ll also provide new material for you to mull over in future runs.

Youthful energy, or any raw energy for that matter, will trump convention eventually.

]]> By: Ilan Bouchard http://www.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/#comment-10623 Ilan Bouchard Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:08:05 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/#comment-10623 Really great post. Really great post.

]]> By: Nick Daar http://www.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/#comment-10622 Nick Daar Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:01:10 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/dialing-in/#comment-10622 This is quite possibly my favorite post from you since fight club moments way back. The emotions and thoughts you lay out in this piece are so very reflective of my current feelings. I just turned 20 and I too hold this romanticized view of the past (which is probably in accurate) but keeps my thoughts anchored in the past. A very insightful post, as I feel many are since they are linked so inseparably to the general age range we share. Maybe these feelings are our bodies/subconscious/whatever telling us it is time to move on. It would be how Philalawyer says 'finding purpose in movement'. It takes two points to make line and a line to find out where you are going. Movement is a necessity This is quite possibly my favorite post from you since fight club moments way back. The emotions and thoughts you lay out in this piece are so very reflective of my current feelings. I just turned 20 and I too hold this romanticized view of the past (which is probably in accurate) but keeps my thoughts anchored in the past. A very insightful post, as I feel many are since they are linked so inseparably to the general age range we share. Maybe these feelings are our bodies/subconscious/whatever telling us it is time to move on. It would be how Philalawyer says ‘finding purpose in movement’. It takes two points to make line and a line to find out where you are going. Movement is a necessity

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