While Kant’s repetitive processes tend to render results, I
feel like anything that you do consistently will eventually be gainful. Even
Nietzsche’s walks, while not repetitive at the same time every day at the same
time, were a consistent part of his life. I believe that the repetitive level
that Kant was doing may be perhaps too structured for anyone practically to
live by. I tend to have a few activities that I do every single day. A few of
them on purpose in order to become better at them and a few unintentionally
that seemed to manifest and I’m unsure why. The only thing I actively do every
day at the same time is archery. I practice archery every day early in the
morning in order to escape the heat before it becomes unbearable, which for me
it becomes so at around 8am. I enjoy
archery and also have a strong desire to become good at, but I never become
upset if I am unable to do because I’m out of town or something. It’s nothing
like the obsessive structure of Kant. I would akin it more to the structure of
Nietzsche’s incredible mountain hikes, something you would expect from a
German. I practice relentlessly, sometimes for hours on end try to create new
ways of practicing to better improve my skills. A large difference that I will
note is that I practice not for my health, like Kant would, nor for the desire
to escape migraines as Nietzsche would, but for the entertainment value as well
as the improved ability. I will say though that the thing Kant and I share in
common is an absolute hate of the heat. While ant’s iron will caused him to
continue to walk even in the most oppressive heat (even if he did have to take
a few breaks) I will only stand it for a few minutes before packing up and
running into my air conditioned house.
I believe that if a person has the right balance of
trepidation as Nietzsche did as well as some of the repetitive cycle of Kant in
some sort of balance that they are in the best system. We all need structure in
order to accomplish things, page by page as Herman describes Kant. However, we
also need the exhilarating adventure that is Nietzsche’s intense mountain hikes
in order to break the monotony. Having both and striking the right balance that
work for you is the most important and difficult part.
The daily routine is deeply comforting, once you embrace it. Until you do, though, it can seem "boring" and mechanical. James said in his Principles of Psychology that the more of our functions we can turn over to unthinking habit, the more we free up our mental energies for higher tasks. But for exhilarating epiphany, an exceptional hike up a steep mountain might produce a better yield. Fortunately the needed "balance" doesn't have to be 50-50, for most of us.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think of the saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none" and reminds me of the times that I played basketball in highschool. While it was good to be good at one specific position, it was also good to be able to understand the role that the other players had to play because that created team bonding and uniformity. This allowed the team to play as a more cohesive unit. If I can better understand the way that the center plays, as a point guard I may be better able to give him a pass when he is covered by two defenders and I am being pressured. I think this has translated into my life as well. If I am better able to understand how someone else lives their life, I am better able to provide them help or words of encouragement. Theoretically, if you understand the methods and techniques by which another is able to master their craft, be it archery or even writing (similar to how we have been analyzing other philosophers) you may be able to also improve your craft. It is indisputable that being a professional archer takes years and years of fine tuning, be it adjusting sights, changing the distances of targets, practicing under different conditions, and in different environments. Maybe so in life, if one is to be the master of their own destiny, they too should apply these same principles. We become better philosophers by studying other philosophers, or better students by either taking diverse classes or specific classes. The beauty in all of it, is that we are able to make that choice and can revel or peacefully concentrate in the freedom that we have.
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