The Pondering Well (2.4.25)

Savannah
Feb 4
3 min read

Updated: Feb 11

This article on AI and writing is a much more coherent exploration of similar thoughts I’ve had recently. While I don’t believe in suffering for the safe of suffering, it is undeniable that difficult experiences have a significant impact on who we become. This came up for me recently when I attended an event centered around the promise of technology and the hope for a rationalist utopia. As I pondered this idyllic world of light they heralded, I thought about how meaningless the very concept of “light” would be if we did not experience darkness. The resistance, the challenge, the journey through the underworld, these are the things that shape our souls. There is always the temptation to bypass this struggle, and the use of AI to avoid the hard work of writing is no different.

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

If a problem can be solved at all, to understand it and to know what to do about it are the same thing.

These are quotes from a little book from Alan Watts called "There is Never Anything but the Present." It was interesting to read through and pick up on the themes he returns to and explores in different ways. These lines stood out to me for a few reasons.

First, I realized there’s a connection to the quality management principle of Root Cause Analysis. Specifically, the use of “5 Whys” to identify the root of a problem. As I’ve discovered over years of implementing this tool, the success of the analysis depends on what type of questions you ask. It is a nuanced skill to know what questions to pursue. Following the wrong train of thought can just lead to a dead end—a waste of time and effort. Or worse, it can imply a course of corrective action that is completely ineffective and perhaps even harmful. On the other hand, once you start asking good questions, it feels like the pieces start falling into place. It is suddenly clear what needs to be done to address the issue. If you get to the end of a 5 Why and there is no strong indication of how to solve the problem, then something probably went wrong. Of course, the implementation might not be easy, but at least you know what direction you need to go. I think this process holds true in any area of life, not just in quality management.

Second, as my mentor has told me many times over the years, the right question is the key that opens the door to understanding. Without the question, you’re stuck not knowing or seeing the truth. This reminds me of the story of Bluebeard, particularly the retelling from “Women Who Run with the Wolves.” In this story, a young bride is whisked away to her mysterious groom’s home. He gives her a set of keys and permits her to explore his entire castle, except there is one key in particular that she is not to use under any circumstances. Of course she eventually finds a cellar door that the key unlocks and discovers the corpses of all his previous brides. Her curiosity leads to crucial knowledge that gives her an opportunity to escape and avoid being his next victim. Curiosity is about asking questions. “Why doesn’t he want me to use this key?” “What is behind this door?” There is an art and skill in learning to ask the right questions that will lead to truth.

I am on a perpetual quest to improve the way I organize my notes, projects, and general information. I stumbled upon this PARA method recently and have been rolling it around in my mind as a potential model to implement. On a conceptual level, I’ve realized the main problem with traditional organizing structures is that it organizes information by type, rather than by action. What am I planning to do with this thing? Is it an idea for a future project? Something to research or learn about? Something to retain for reference? I’m trying to find a way to categorize by action in a way that makes sense for my brain. I also realize this is one of those things I will never actually be able to perfect, and am trying to resign myself to that.

A mesmerizing murmuration of starlings

A song I've been listening to a lot: Stars are on your Side (youtube link) (spotify link)