Tabula Rasa
The human organism is an amazing thing. We are, I suspect, the most remarkable beings in the known universe. I believe there are two primary reason for this:
Our ability to learn and adapt.
Our potential to make conscious choices.
For the purposes of today’s musing I’ll be looking at these two qualities in terms of physical movement.
When we consider all other organic life on earth, we see that their capacity for movement is almost completely built-in at birth. My favourite example of this is the mountain goat, a species of mammal that is capable of scaling sheer rock faces near-vertical cliffs. From birth, the newborn “kid” is able to immediately navigate its environment with a certain level of proficiency (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0lTSuOHKfo). Compare this to a human baby that can barely move its head at birth, let alone loco-mote and climb.
What this suggests is that the movement capacity of other organic species is largely pre-installed into the nervous system at birth, whereas we as homo-sapiens begin life with something more akin to a blank slate or tabula rasa (a latin term literally meaning “blank slate”).
Also fascinating is that the animal kingdom is filled with specialists. Fish species are masters at swimming, primates are masters at climbing and brachiating, and the felidae/big cats are masters of sprinting on land. Human beings have no such movement speciality — we cannot swim as efficiently as a fish, we cannot climb and swing as well as the primates, and we cannot run as fast as the big cats. However, we can learn to swim, climb, swing and sprint, whereas a fish cannot learn to run like a leopard, a leopard cannot learn to swing like a monkey and a monkey cannot learn to swim like a fish. We seem to uniquely exist as generalists whose survival and flourishing depends on learning to move in a large variety of ways.
Ironic, then, that contemporary human culture tends to value speciality over generalisation. Consider our education system which begins broad (e.g. primary school) and then narrows into specific subjects (high school), which then narrows into a specific niche (e.g. university/college), and then ultra specialises to a niche within a niche (e.g. Masters/PHD). This is mirrored in our physical education, where children are encouraged to explore a broad array of movement practices when they’re young but are soon encouraged to focus on specialised practices, typically a certain sport, in the pursuit of excellence and accolades within a single domain.
(As an aside, I believe engaging in years of specific, repetitive movement patterns at the neglect of all others that we have the potential to access is a primary cause of physical dysfunction and chronic pain. The solution is often to simply expose the body to the postures and patterns that have been historically neglected.)
Understanding ourselves as generalists with a unique ability to adapt, learn and grow then points to the second remarkable quality about human beings — our potential to make conscious choices.
In order to do anything new, to learn a new skill, to develop a new habit, the first crucial step is to simply choose to learn this new thing. This is particularly important for adults, as nature largely takes care of much of our growth and development as children, but then comes a certain point where further development requires choice.
In other words, in order to become someone that can do (whatever that doing may be), we must first decide that we wish to do.
This relates to the topic of identity.
I’ve written in previous musings about the idea that we aren’t a unified whole, rather we are more like a horse drawn carriage (or an Uber, to use a more contemporary concept), whereby the passenger (personality/identity/character) changes from moment-to-moment, and that this is why we struggle to do anything, as we are constantly and (almost) imperceptibly switching “passengers” who each have their own goals, likes and dislikes.
I also spoke about the presence of the “essential self”, that “you” which may be considered the “real I”. This is a very big and challenging thing to (re)discover and it can take a very long time, so I’d like to offer a practical suggestion for those wishing to “put the spoon down” (do) that can be practised immediately:
Find someone, or ideally a group of people, who are already doing what you wish to do. Meet with them frequently and routinely and open yourself to their influence. Notice what they do, how they talk, how they move, how they conduct themselves, and “try on” these characteristics like a costume. Then, do as the great Bruce Lee recommended, which is to “absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own”.
On the flip side, if you are struggling greatly "to do", to achieve what you really wish to achieve, consider the people you surround yourself with and notice if their values and behaviour is aligned with what you truly want. If it isn’t, “discard what is useless”.
This can be a very difficult thing in the short term, but in my experience it’s essential to truly better oneself. Especially because modern culture seems to trend rapidly toward degeneration (sickness) rather than growth (vitality).
Metaphorically speaking, a single salmon will struggle greatly to swim upstream, but a school of salmon may well stand a chance.
To be well, let alone great, in today’s age requires conscious acts of rebellion. Don’t take my word for it, simply look around at the average human alive today. Our culture does not deeply value health and wellness, let alone more subtle inner development. A sick person is a valued customer.
To be better, we must make the choice to do so, we must surround ourselves with others on the same path, and we must make consistent and earnest efforts towards our goals (with a little faith, hope and love sprinkled in for good measure) and genuinely help one another along the way.
Thank you, as always, for reading. It’s an honour to share with you.
Now go do your best.
With love,
🙏🐒