45. CHANGES
In retrospect, even those accomplishments
which seemed perfect when accomplished,
may seem imperfect and ill formed,
but this does not mean that such accomplishments
have outlived their usefulness.
That which once seemed full,
may later empty seem,
yet still be unexhausted.
That which once seemed straight
may seem twisted when seen once more;
intelligence can seem stupid,
and eloquence seem awkward;
movement may overcome the cold,
and stillness, heat,
but stillness in movement
is the way of the Tao.
Trying to make your work perfect is a sure way to drive yourself crazy. Part of my initial attraction to computers and programming was it played to my perfectionistic bent, but I quickly learned that total perfection was an impossible goal, and the way to success was to anticipate and plan for failures, to deliberately build your program to handle the flaws in the data that was entered.
Our financial system today failed to plan for failure. Our economy as a whole fails to plan for failure. We leave people without a system of support when things go wrong. Our entire health care system is built around failure. We try to heal sick people instead of trying to keep people well and strong. We look for symptoms instead of systemic wholeness, and treat weaknesses instead of strengths. We focus on what people cannot do instead of on what they can do. We look at ourselves, and see our flaws, but don’t realize that they are deliberate, that we focus on how they make us weak instead of the ways they can make us stronger. We indulge our weaknesses, rather than nurturing our growing strengths.
We shouldn’t be propping up the old system that is failing, dying. We should be looking around for ways to encourage new things to grow. Not perfect new things, but ones that can be strong enough to overcome their flaws.
4 Responses
You have said so much of what I have been saying for a long time. I keep listening to the talking heads and experts and shake my head wondering why they aren’t asking the very basic questions that the many crises they talk about seem to raise. We are looking at the failure of gigantic businesses and every effort made to date has been to shore them up not ask if they should have been allowed to get that big in the first place. The ‘health’ system has been broken for all but those who can afford the care in the first place or are fortunate to have insurance (provided by self or employer.) But that system as you have noted is geared toward taking care of people when they get sick not keeping them well. Any efforts toward reforming or remaking the system is met with cries of socialism just as any notion of reforming or remaking the banking system is met with cries of ‘nationalization.’ Obama ran on change but I have yet to see any real change.
I think we’ll see change soon. There have already been some rather large and important changes, and it’s only been a month — give it time.
We’re looking at sea changes here, not small ones, and those kind of big changes move slowly. Can’t dig up the roots yet to see if the plants are sprouting…
Ezra Klein:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=02&year=2009&base_name=the_first_month
We’ve just closed out the first month of Obama’s presidency. During that period, Obama passed S-CHIP expansion, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a $787 billion stimulus package that was many bills in one (including such liberal priorities as comparative effectiveness research, transit funding, Health IT funding, broadband funding, etc), and is about to turn his attention to comprehensive health care reform.
To conservatives … the first month has been more about skittish markets and failed nominees. And to many liberals, it’s seemed like a lot of compromise with centrist Republicans and tapdancing around congressional Republicans and buckling to blue dogs. But actually, rather a lot has been accomplished. Behind the scenes, they’ve been constructing a health care reform proposal that will be unveiled in this week’s budget, and action is happening on the energy legislation front, and they’re still building out staff.
I write poetry myself, so please don’t take this as a criticism. When I see the calligraphy created by Zhao Yizhou, especially the piece entitled, “Alas,” it makes me want to take up the brush.
Alas, I’m addicted to words.
Link: http://zhaoyizhou.co.uk/calligraphy/nothingness/