This is going to be a rather short post by my standards, so don't get too lazy now.
Recently, there's been some talk about a particular book - I'm not going to say which one. It's a book that I own, and enjoy, a lot. Now, recently, more and more, talk of this book has popped up occasionally in a thread or two, just a whisper.
It's a brilliant book, mind you. One of the better books that I own. It's a book I've read through, taken about 40 pages of notes on in my magic notebook, that I utilise every single day. I use it in my magic, but in my daily interaction with people (if you know what I'm talking about, as a few of you might - Dee in particular might know this, please don't mention the name, or guess at what it is - it defeats the purpose of the thread). It even helped me in an acting audition some time ago.
So I'm seeing comments about this book, which I don't mind. Most people won't give it a second thought about it, and those that do, have the minds that will benefit from the book, so good on them.
But the sorts of comments I'm reading, is this:
"Very interesting stuff"
"A great read"
"A tome of information"
"All you need to know"
And I can't help but to think that that shouts out "I haven't actually used anything, though." What I would say about this book? Look above, how have I praised this book?
"I use it every single day."
See, all the comments I'm reading about this book, praise it for having wonderful information.
Almost no-one praises it out of experience. Everyone puts their hand up and says, Yep, I recognise that this is great!
The unspoken implication is, ...but I haven't bothered to use it.
And THIS is what sh*ts me. It's people who have this wonderful information, realise it's wonderful... And waste it. Sure, they mention it on an internet forum because it makes them sound knowledgeable, but they don't have the dedication or the desire or the balls to get off their backsides and actually use the damn thing. If you're not gonna use it, then YES, I'd rather that the knowledge be exclusive to me, because otherwise, I'll be talking to people who have that knowledge but don't have a damn clue about the knowledge, and that's useless to me, and contributes to those things that detriment the art.
Like judging a magician's skill solely on sleight of hand, for example. Here, it's the same - judging on knowledge. But idle knowledge is knowledge wasted. Knowledge without application is knowledge without thought.
We all have great tomes of information in front of us. Royal Road. 13 Steps. And some of us have this book. But information is useless if we don't use it.
Some say, "Recognition is half the battle won."
I say, "Recognition is only half the battle."
Recently, there's been some talk about a particular book - I'm not going to say which one. It's a book that I own, and enjoy, a lot. Now, recently, more and more, talk of this book has popped up occasionally in a thread or two, just a whisper.
It's a brilliant book, mind you. One of the better books that I own. It's a book I've read through, taken about 40 pages of notes on in my magic notebook, that I utilise every single day. I use it in my magic, but in my daily interaction with people (if you know what I'm talking about, as a few of you might - Dee in particular might know this, please don't mention the name, or guess at what it is - it defeats the purpose of the thread). It even helped me in an acting audition some time ago.
So I'm seeing comments about this book, which I don't mind. Most people won't give it a second thought about it, and those that do, have the minds that will benefit from the book, so good on them.
But the sorts of comments I'm reading, is this:
"Very interesting stuff"
"A great read"
"A tome of information"
"All you need to know"
And I can't help but to think that that shouts out "I haven't actually used anything, though." What I would say about this book? Look above, how have I praised this book?
"I use it every single day."
See, all the comments I'm reading about this book, praise it for having wonderful information.
Almost no-one praises it out of experience. Everyone puts their hand up and says, Yep, I recognise that this is great!
The unspoken implication is, ...but I haven't bothered to use it.
And THIS is what sh*ts me. It's people who have this wonderful information, realise it's wonderful... And waste it. Sure, they mention it on an internet forum because it makes them sound knowledgeable, but they don't have the dedication or the desire or the balls to get off their backsides and actually use the damn thing. If you're not gonna use it, then YES, I'd rather that the knowledge be exclusive to me, because otherwise, I'll be talking to people who have that knowledge but don't have a damn clue about the knowledge, and that's useless to me, and contributes to those things that detriment the art.
Like judging a magician's skill solely on sleight of hand, for example. Here, it's the same - judging on knowledge. But idle knowledge is knowledge wasted. Knowledge without application is knowledge without thought.
We all have great tomes of information in front of us. Royal Road. 13 Steps. And some of us have this book. But information is useless if we don't use it.
Some say, "Recognition is half the battle won."
I say, "Recognition is only half the battle."