The Flotsam and Jetsam of a Messy Mind

I’ve been doing some serious Spring Cleaning lately; no matter we are fast approaching the autumnal equinox. In the process I’ve dusted the cobwebs off some of my hoarded treasures of miscellany. These represent bits and pieces of memory washed up onto the shoreline of my consciousness. “Memory is a crazy woman that hoards colored rags and throws away food.” (Austin O’Malley) Let me throw a few tidbits your way.

In The Arts of the Beautiful Etienne Gilson writes of talent, genius, and the creation of beauty. Of talent he observed that either one possess it or not, but it is not rare. Talent “composes a work by mastering techniques and skillfully adjusting and organizing parts.” On the other hand, genius is extremely rare and unteachable. The genius “generates the work in its entirety from the seminal form which is its germ.” Genius will use the acquired techniques as it pleases. However, the main point in regards to both is “to respect the primacy of making over knowing.” (emphases mine)

Gilson speaks also of writing (an act of making). “One writes not in order to produce writing, but in order to think, for the mind knows what it thinks with absolute certainty only after it has expressed it.” How does this compare with Francis Bacon in “Of Studies?” “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; writing an exact man.” And into the mix, add Stendhal, “Speech was given to man so that he might hide his thoughts.”

Having mentioned writing, we should also touch on knowledge. There is a Persian adage from an unknown sage:
“He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool—shun him;
He who knows not, and knows he knows not, is a child—teach him.
He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep—awaken him;
He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise—follow him.”

Bits and pieces have been promised; let us shift our attention to advice about ­advice. John Steinbeck said, “No one wants advice, only corroboration.” The Marquis de Lagrange observed, “When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” When addressing the graduates of an East Coast university, National Security Advisor Anthony Lake invoked advice given to him. “I will try to follow the advice that a university president once gave a prospective commencement speaker. ‘Think of yourself as the body at an Irish wake,’ he said. ‘They need you in order to have the party, but nobody expects you to say very much.’” (Chicago Tribune 12/31/1995) Now that’s an accomplice if I ever met one!

And finally, a word of advice from William Edward Norris:
“If your lips would keep from slips,
Five things observe with care.

To whom you speak, of whom you speak,
And how, and when, and where.”


It gives me pleasure to take these bits and pieces from my treasure box and to reflect on their relevance in the 21st century. The times they are certainly changing!

Genius abounds. Today we are surrounded by “Infant Einsteins” learning to read before they can speak. No longer rare, indeed, genius will become commonplace when genetic engineering enables parents to select high IQs for not yet born offspring. The older set can also partake in genius that is so loosely awarded to mediocre performance in aid of raising self-esteem. Make no one feel bad, award the laurels of creative excellence all-round. Standards be damned.

Making has fallen by the wayside. We don’t seem to make anything anymore so primacy is claimed by knowing. Orphaned making, with understanding and wisdom, a-begging go. More and more factoids—out of context—represent “knowledge.” It is questionable how much thinking is involved. Speech reveals all thoughts, however trite. Our exactitude rests on a foundation of texts, talk, hypertext links, and tweets. Truth becomes relative while, conversely, the relativity of social networking pushes a reality that conforms only to “what’s hot”. He who knows not, but cares not, is connected—“friend him.”

Timely advice validates both seeker and sage. Each accomplice IMs opinion for our delectation, flourishing emoticons all the while LOL. No matter the subject, there are experts sans portfolio who are eager “to share” how it should be done. Our wise advisors care not to whom or of whom, but only by whom.

These are my colored rags. I will confess that I, too, am guilty of 21st century frippery. I hoard my treasures long stored out of context, fully read once upon a time. Yet I urge you to reflect on what crumbs this messy mind has salvaged from her sea of memory.