To Specialize, or not to Specialize?

The modern pentathlon is a multi-sport event which involves shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian mastery, and middle-distance running. It is contested at the olympics, and there are also international world cup competitions. I find it fascinating that there is a sport which includes multiple sports within it, and the total average level of performance displayed in each is what determines the victor. I think the pentathlon fits in nicely with the tetrahedral, poly-faceted type of philosophy that I admire and try to emulate in my own life activities.

The pentathlon appeals to the renaissance archetype of a multi-faceted individual striving for greatness in various fields. The key to understanding this archetype is to realize that an individual involved in multiple endeavors is actually inspired by one single ideal that unifies his/her various pursuits. Striving for greatness in one arena, in sports, the arts, social prestige, and so on, is the tendency of the majority. But the renaissance spirit asks 'if one, why not the whole?'. Indeed. Why not attempt greatness in multiple fields? You should not be so predisposed to accomplishing a high level in only one sport, art form, or competitive activity.  Try not to limit yourself too much, you know?

Of course, it is not quite that easy. The reason why most talented people limit themselves to one area is that they want to specialize. In specializing, dedicating your focus and energy in one area, you can gain a level of skill and expertise that would not be matched if you had decided to branch out into different fields. There can be a significant cost to spreading yourself too thin. You do not achieve the level of ability in a single area that you could have, and that extra fraction of technique never gained or a slightly inferior understanding of the subject means that you do not attain that fine level of greatness that you would have if you had devoted yourself to the path of narrow specialization.

But what if? What if you go out into multiple fields, and in an overall sense achieve way more in total than you would have if you specialized? Isn't life about maximizing your potential? Aren't you limiting your potential by just doing one thing, even if you do it extremely well? That ultimately is for you decide, of course. Life demands the absolute best from you. You therefore must show your best in life each and every single day. To do any less would be a disappointment. It can be a hard journey, true, but your earnest efforts will provide a worthy reward. How can you accept doing any less than you are capable of, besides? As to the question of whether to take a more specialized approach or to be more broadly applied, you really need to possess the self-knowledge about your own potential and inclinations in that regard. I believe some are born more inclined and fit to be specialized, whereas others are in fact better for a broad, multiple endeavor style of approach. Whatever maximizes you is what makes sense.

The Virtue of Industry

 "The Last Anvil Makers" by Nathan Green

The moral virtue of industry is perhaps among the most important of all, at least in terms of achieving work related goals. Firstly, it is quite indispensable towards one's success in almost any endeavor which requires effort or energy. Whether you apply the specific terms of work ethic, productivity, labor efficiency, or other terms, you need to develop and maintain some form of applied dedication in your life. I personally prefer the use of the word industry, because I feel that it best sums up what I am trying to develop, among the related terms for work-related values. It is with this virtue that one can build enormous fortunes, move entire mountains, or clear out tons of excrement from their lives. One can never have enough industry in their attitude and being.   

Being industrious implies a number of things. It means that you strive to make the most of your time, it means you can put up long hours, it means that you are steady and consistent in your work habits, and it means that you get things done. It is a very powerful virtue, a driving force for accomplishment and progress that can and should be applied to everyday life. It allows you to check off from the to-do list all of your priorities in proper order and in due time, but it can also be applied with equal effectiveness on the minutiae such as reorganizing your favorite videos on Youtube. Once you reach a certain level of industry or let's say work rate, you are in a position to move up to the next highest tier, because you can always find that better way to employ yourself, that more efficient way to shave off a few minutes or move faster. The standard bar you apply on one day is meant to be broken on a future date, and surpassed yet again after that. You should never be entirely comfortable with a level you maintain in regards to industry, because there is always room for improvement somewhere, in some way. You cannot really be certain if you are maxed out even if you feel that way, because the reality may be that you are capable of doing much more.  

Being in a state of high industriousness is like living in a sacred place where time becomes a watchful and admiring friend. The experience is like moving through another dimension, doing things naturally with little pause or hesitation, like being in a fluid state of thought and immediate sustained action. It is like becoming a living machine which senses and experiences fully, except is almost unaware of limitations such as fatigue or difficulty. Industry overcomes, overpowers, forces submission and demands domination. Industry does not yield, it is an overdriving and sublime sensation when experienced at its height as an emotion. It is perfectly reliable, perfectly consistent, always intends to be of maximum use and always trys to eliminate that which is not a necessity. Time, actions, and eternity-this is industry.

Visions of Utopia

Given all of the poverty and suffering in the world, the economic disparities and the sociopolitical inequalities, the waste of human potential and the horrendous lack of medical care for most of the world's inhabitants, given this current state of affairs, it seems necessary to consider some possibilities for better and improved forms of government and social structures. Of course the real questions are how would this hypothetical new society take shape, and what would it look like? Can such a new civilization be planned in that it could be designed from the ground up as it were and then successfully implemented? What would it take to make the ideal society a reality?

Artists, writers and futurists have much to say on these matters, mostly by way of speculations and discussions rather than in presenting real solutions. Nonetheless, hypothesizing and employing one's creativity on this issue can be very helpful in many ways. One needs to imagine a structure before they can build it, and if we could combine both creativity with cold hard facts in a body of social, political, economic, and legal theories that can effectively form a new civilization then this is the important aim. In science, theory and practice cannot be separated (at least not for long), so we should be able to gauge if the new system we develop is working the way it is supposed to, and either continue on or adjust and refine. In using science and employing reason as a basis upon forming a new higher order of civilization, we need to define what we want, and be open to nontraditional views of running things. It can be difficult to imagine a social paradigm which is different from your own, and even in accepting a different way of life. But since what we have right now does not seem to be good enough, then improvement and advancement is necessary heading toward the future. And in the process of building such a new system, moral values need to be the foundation, and we should also recognize that the development stages can become an art as well as a science.

Perhaps it is the case that the next stage in the evolution of human development would be the realization that we are capable of creating our own form of social order, and thereby can also improve existing conditions if not scrap the whole thing for something better altogether. Maybe the next higher phase in human civilization is the capacity to produce new ways of living and being, based on reason and the understanding of scientific principles, particularly in regards to human nature, needs, desires, and activity.

I have considered the idea of tying together the mission of founding a new society with the Metistonic Order. Perhaps the mission statement could be something along the lines of ending world hunger and poverty, ensuring the education and health of all of the world's children, establishing bases of law and order in crime-ridden chaotic countries, defending indigenous tribes from exploitation, protecting the environment, preventing species extinctions, and so on, basically goals which would be considered morally respectable and also have a touch of the impossible to them. Ideally, the stated goals of the order should be those which are truly engaged in through organized action, are beneficial to the public welfare, involve members going on missions, and some of the goals could be perpetual (such as founding the perfect human society, etc.). In addition, there would be missions which support the growth, expansion, and the advancement of the order's interests. I do not have any exact framework for these matters as of yet, but in time I must work these details out. Also, I need to have a symbol set which would represent the order, I hope that I should discover something suitable eventually. Whether this new utopia is created by a super committee of reason or formed by some freeflow process from the ground up, as long it comes into existence is the main point.

One Key to Success: Intelligent Persistence

 

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again", goes a famous saying. I would have to disagree with that adage somewhat, only because it seems to ignore an important point that is necessary to consider if you are seriously trying to succeed at any endeavor. The point is that you need to make certain to employ strategy in your attempts. Good strategy is the key to victory in any situation you find yourself in. Strategy and solid tactical execution are the core ingredients towards the realization of a desired result. You should ask yourself what is the best move I can make at this point, from either the strategic or tactical perspectives and then make resolutely certain to do it. It is not simply a matter of trying and trying again and again until something works out for you. You need to be thoughtful about your approach, be willing to adjust when necessary, and keep your eyes open for openings. You should expect to "try, try, again", and certainly do so, but combine that dogged determination with stratagem. Use your brain. Be resolute. Be intelligently persistent.

Martial Arts Fitness



A triumphant gladiator (artist unknown)

If one were to take to training like a gladiator of Ancient Rome, wouldn't they be putting absolutely 100% dedication and effort into it, since their very lives would be at stake? My guess would be yes, because I don't think there are many things in life that would more motivate someone to achieve physical supremacy than a fight for survival.

What would an ancient gladiator's athletic program and training schedule look like? What was his diet, exercise regimen, and what did he learn at the gladiator school? There are a few tidbits and details that I have gleaned from reading some books and watching documentaries. One of the interesting things I noted was that gladiators did not consume much meat, if any at all. They ate a lot of beans, barley, fruit. Vegetarian/vegan type of stuff. Many of them were slaves, though some men signed up for the glory and the money. They practiced intensively. The gladiator profession is one of the most fascinating ways of life that guys could undertake in the olden days of Rome, and certainly would be so again today if it were allowed in modern times. One of the aspects that interest me (among many) is the training process these guys had to go through. How much more motivated could you be, when you were faced with the prospect of a fight to the death in your near future?  

As a gladiator headed out for the arena floor, he needed to be mentally sharp. In training, he would have to prepare a body that was physically fast, strong, and mobile, and be able to go full throttle for the duration of the fight. He certainly would need to be highly skilled in weapons combat, as well as be well-versed in unarmed techniques. The gladiator was perhaps the most physically fit of the ancient warriors. As an expert martial artist, he had to be lethally effective with his weapons, but also be fully capable in the realms of grappling, wrestling and striking. Top conditioning was the minimum standard that he had to maintain, and he had to master the complexities of weapons and armor fighting as well. Expert maneuvering, tactical understanding, superb execution of techniques, timing, all these factors and more were key to his success in the arena.  

I suppose we are fortunate that we do not have to worry about the consequences of not training to our absolute capacity in the athletic realm. But in a way, I think we lack a certain drive that a gladiator had to possess, an intense fire to be the best, to exercise to the limit that your body would allow, to learn, practice, and to get the most out of every training session so that you could perform at your absolute best when the scheduled day arrived. You would become a living weapon. Even if you were defeated, you would be proud to have proved your mettle on the coliseum sands.

We are lucky that we do not have to face the pressures and dire consequence of failure that the gladiators of old had to endure, but it is also the case that we are not as blessed in some ways as they were. We have to try to recognize the critical importance of training to the best of one's ability, and pushing ourselves harder whenever there is any question as to whether we are doing enough. If you have the wind to run another couple of laps, and your legs do not feel like spent, burning jelly after an exercise run/jog, then no, you probably are not pushing yourself to the limit. Now, you do not want to injure yourself unnecessarily, and must be aware of some limitations, but when in doubt, go harder. This principle does not only apply to athletic training, but in all arenas and testing grounds of life.

The Ideal Man II

Artist unknown

Artist. Philosopher. Medical Doctor. Athlete. Entrepreneur. Is there a best type of man, and ideal occupation which all must admire and respect? It is certainly the case that one who practices an admired profession may not in any other respects display ideal or worthy characteristics in temperament and personality. So at the core of an ideal man is his own character, what makes the man who he is and what he does and why he does it. At the center of it all, is the "soul" or the mind, or whatever you want to call it, but that is what forms and molds the man, much more so than any other more superficial traits he may possess or titles he carries. If a man or woman is a cardiac surgeon, for example, or a high powered lawyer, is that because they planned cleverly and worked hard for that position, or does it have more to do with their parents bequeathing unto them priveleges that most people can only dream about? Does talent and determination a great career make, or is it moreso a matter of life circumstances and financial resources? The reality seems to be an uncomfortable mix between the two.

What does appear to be the case however is that there exists the potential for any man, if they truly dedicate themselves to it, to go beyond what is considered "average" or "normal" and progress onto a level more advanced than most people would guess to be realisitc. I am referring to any realm of human achievement, inner and outer. Whether it is in the area of self-mastery ie to stop abusing alcohol, or in the area of being elected to the political office they set a goal for, great progress is possible for those who strive for more. Who sets the bar besides? No one can truly say with certainty if a man is capable of this thing or that (unless there is substantial evidence for the assertion).

I suppose one way that you can try to define the ideal man is by comparing and contrasting him with the average man, or better yet, the mean and spineless man. The ideal man engages in the cultivation of the soul, because of his romantic nature or through concerted effort. The mean man has a strong tendency to engage in either idleness or moral debasement. The ideal man has a passion for progress, the mean man has a complete lack of ambition for himself and lacks any desire for wellness or good for the society around him. I could go on for a lot more examples, but you get the point. A good reference regarding this concept that comes to mind is the Confucian comparison of the high man and low man, which details basically what it means to be a gentlemen and a bastard, and how to tell the difference between the two.

It is important to have a passion for progress. One should keep the model for the ideal man in mind sometimes, if at least for comparison's sake. In doing this, you will probably feel some slight sense of shame or a twinge of dissapointment, because you will most likely not match that ideal that you have in your mind and wishes. But that is okay. In my view, being and living the example of the ideal man is a bar which may be perpetually out of reach. He is a figure that exists in some higher plane, he lives in a hallowed place one strives to reach, ever the hero that we wish we could be but we would nonetheless feel unworthy if we had to take his place today. Or tomorrow for that matter.

We each can have our own versions of what an ideal man is, how he is like. I view an ideal man as super fit, super smart, tough as a rock, passionate, aggressive, competent, capable, ambitious, and principled, in a nut shell. There are different versions, based on one's own beliefs and preferences, with a few universal or very common traits that would show up in all descriptions I suspect. But whatever the model for you, do some comparing and striving, not necessarily to emulate what you typify an ideal man to be, but rather focused on what you can do to better yourself and society. Live your own ideal, in terms of your goals, self mastery, actions, and have the courage and backbone to do your best in all circumstances.

Defensive Vigilance

Eye of Horus/Ra, for me an excellent symbol for being vigilant

One of the best moral virtues out there that I need to develop is that of defensive vigilance. You must be vigilant about your life, be aware of potential pitfalls and dangers in any course of action or inaction, watchful of your surroundings when driving a car, be vigilant about numerous things. You must defend yourself from the cruel fickleness of fortune to the best of your ability. Thus, be defensively vigilant. This virtue involves never allowing yourself to be unprepared from any events which have a reasonable chance of occurring. You must counter any attempt on the part of other parties that would result in your disadvantage or harm. If the course you are on is not amenable to maximizing your health, prosperity, peace of mind, and freedom then you are obligated to change the course towards a more correct path, by whatever means. Try to maximize opportunities for getting lucky. Try to make fortune your friend as much as you are able to, and not your enemy. In poker, for example, as in everyday life, if you are not in a position to benefit from potential good luck (perhaps you folded out of the hand), then in such situations you will never witness lady luck's good side. Unlike poker, however, life gives you opportunities to get lucky without risking much if anything, oftentimes. What do you ever lose by seeking out opportunities or applying for a better job with more pay? Even if you fail or the opportunity doesn't pan out, you will have gained experience. There are many areas in which defensive vigilance must be maintained so that you can ride smoothly when others crash (particularly those who don't pay attention or who are not careful). Also, never make a mistake you already learned from. Seemingly obvious, but sometimes not adhered too.