Why is it, that some people read a mere fraction of The Sequences and achieve something like 'rationality', where others read the whole thing and get nothing. Why is it that I have ostensibly novel thoughts on 'rationality' reading a book on the history of science, but a physics Ph.D reads that same book and gets little from it but fun trivia? The following is my best current hypothesis, for the first thing that needs to be taught for someone to even pursue 'rationality'. (This text is edited in to provide context that should have been there when I first posted.)
Paths are walked one foot after the other, by careful repetition.Crossbow is closer to Mars than pen.Zeno's wisdom of measurement must be considered carefully to achieve Erasmus's glory.The artists thieving eyes permit no wasted motion. All the world is stolen by their dedication. It is easy to confuse that which is stolen with that which New Caledonia's cartographer made, in telling the difference you'll map while you travel and cut with no blade.
That's how I interpreted this sentence. A little more like "you can't get to Mars by thinking, but by doing," but the war reference makes sense with Mars and the crossbow.
The quote that comes to mind is from Miyamoto Musashi, and appears in several places in R:A-Z:
"The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him. More than anything, you must be thinking of carrying your movement through to cutting him. You must thoroughly research this."
Why is it, that some people read a mere fraction of The Sequences and achieve something like 'rationality', where others read the whole thing and get nothing. Why is it that I have ostensibly novel thoughts on 'rationality' reading a book on the history of science, but a physics Ph.D reads that same book and gets little from it but fun trivia? The following is my best current hypothesis, for the first thing that needs to be taught for someone to even pursue 'rationality'. (This text is edited in to provide context that should have been there when I first posted.)
Paths are walked one foot after the other, by careful repetition. Crossbow is closer to Mars than pen. Zeno's wisdom of measurement must be considered carefully to achieve Erasmus's glory. The artists thieving eyes permit no wasted motion. All the world is stolen by their dedication. It is easy to confuse that which is stolen with that which New Caledonia's cartographer made, in telling the difference you'll map while you travel and cut with no blade.