[MD] Where do we all stand in relation to Pirsig's Quality?

[khaled Alkotob]

[SA]
> 
>      Khaled, so if we shift this understanding, let's
> say about rabbits, then since we think differently
> about rabbits some other perceptions we have will
> change as well.  What we thought of as trees, will no
> longer be trees.  What we thought of as a river, is
> not the same thought.  All because we view rabbits so
> differently now.  Isn't that what your saying with
> this spherical thinking?

No rabbits are still rabits andice unless you are reading the Hitchickers
Guide to the galaxy.

I am relistening to ZMM as I am driving, and here is a great example of "
being flexible. thinking different, spherical thinking, taking a step
backward" wahtever you want to call it. here is a great example

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All kinds of examples from cycle maintenance could be given, but the most
striking example of value rigidity I can think of is the old South Indian
Monkey Trap, which depends on value rigidity for its effectiveness. The
trap
consists of a hollowed-out coconut chained to a stake. The coconut has
some rice inside which can be grabbed through a small hole. The hole is
big
enough so that the monkey's hand can go in, but too small for his fist
with
rice in it to come out. The monkey reaches in and is suddenly
trapped...by
nothing more than his own value rigidity. He can't revalue the rice. He
cannot see that freedom without rice is more valuable than capture with
it.
The villagers are coming to get him and take him away. They're coming
closer -- closer! -- now! What general advice...not specific advice..

[this is what I am talking about]

.but what general advice would you give the poor monkey in circumstances
like this?
Well, I think you might say exactly what I've been saying about value
rigidity,
with perhaps a little extra urgency. There is a fact this monkey should
know:
if he opens his hand he's free. But how is he going to discover this
fact? By
removing the value rigidity that rates rice above freedom. How is he
going
to do that? Well, he should somehow try to slow down deliberately and go
over ground that he has been over before and see if things he thought
were
important really were important and, well, stop yanking and just stare at
the
coconut for a while. Before long he should get a nibble from a little
fact
wondering if he is interested in it. He should try to understand this
fact not
so much in terms of his big problem as for its own sake. That problem may
not be as big as he thinks it is. That fact may not be as small as he
thinks it is
either. That's about all the general information you can give him.
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That's it for know, it's has been a long day

khaled