[MD] Mill: Quality & what is freedom?

[Michael Hamilton]

Ian,

Good example, and very different from what I had in mind when writing,
which is encouraging! I was thinking of everday living, where we need
to 'stop' for a moment, for instance by taking a walk or meditating,
in order for inspiration to strike (as Pirsig describes in ZMM). More
specifically, I was thinking of chess. During a chess game, I build up
all kind of static baggage - plans, sections of the board to focus on,
anxieties. And these are useful. But they can also prevent you from
seeing surprising possibilities, or even prevent you from seeing
obvious things like the rook on the other side of the board that you
could be capturing. So it's vital to stop scheming from time to time,
and just look around.

On 6/5/06, ian glendinning <psybertron at gmail.com> wrote:
> David, Mike, ...
>
> That "clearing" is what I see in evolutionary terms as the "nurture"
> counterbalance to the "nature" of tooth and claw competition.
>
> New (DQ) things need protection / segregation from established (SQ)
> things in order to develop their potential.
>
> Ian
>
> On 6/4/06, David M <davidint at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> > Hi Mike
> >
> > Yeah, seems to me that putting the SQ to one side
> > and creating a sort of clearing is required to allow
> > DQ a chance to enter the empty 'space' created.
> >
> > Regards
> > David M
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Michael Hamilton" <thethemichael at gmail.com>
> > To: <moq_discuss at moqtalk.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 11:54 AM
> > Subject: Re: [MD] Mill: Quality & what is freedom?
> >
> >
> > > David,
> > >
> > > I think that was a very insightful post. I esecially like thsi part:
> > > -------------
> > > Of course, making choices implies being aware that there are
> > > different possible futures available to choose between. So how
> > > free you are depends on your grasp of what is possible, being
> > > stuck with common sense or what counts for normal behaviour
> > > in your society may be making you a lot less free than you could be.
> > >
> > > In this way you are limited by the reach of your imagination.
> > > --------------
> > >
> > > I think that imagination is one example of DQ in action - the creation
> > > of new static patterns of value. Having a "grasp of what is possible"
> > > is particularly vital. I think it implies something like
> > > open-mindedness. If we constantly jump mechanically from one static
> > > pattern to another, we become blinded to new possibilities. A good
> > > "grasp of what is possible" involves not just a wide static
> > > repertoire, but also involves remembering to just stop and take a look
> > > around occasionally. That way, the possibilities can just flood in
> > > from time to time.
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