Stream2

We’re all born into particular circumstances and we all go through a particular education. The country we’re born into, the culture, our family, the other people in our lives, what we gravitate towards – all these things influence the way that we think, and more too.

I constantly catch myself writing, thinking, or meditating on something that has nothing to do with engineering and then thinking in terms of engineering logic. I’ll think of the graph structure of knowledge or the magnitude of certain ideas. This is because I spent years studying to be an engineer. I see everything through the lens of what I know.

One idea that’s intrigued me recently however is the idea of getting into new ways of thinking (and living). I was reading Nietzsche and he mentions that German artists from his time were constantly seeking to get into the ancient Greek way of thinking, because they revered the ancient Greek artists. This wowed me because of its implication. The idea that different ways of thinking are available to us just waiting for us to grasp them.

There are so many ways of thinking and living that are truly intriguing: the Japanese samurai, the native Americans, the ancient Greek philosophers, etc. To name only a few.

The purpose of this article is to suggest to you that we don’t have to just be spectators on the sidelines of the modalities of thinking, living, and being that we look up to so much.

As for the method of how to get into these different ways of thinking, I think they are manifold. I have however found that there is a commonality between these various methods. One such commonality is that they are things that require patience and persistence. If you get into writing, don’t expect to blow your mind in an hour. It takes a long time to develop ideas to the point where you can truly shift your perspective. A mind blowing idea is built on the back of a thousand small ideas.

In addition to persistence and patience, I think the practices that lead to new ways of thinking are typically similar in form to the Chinese idea of the Dao (道) (which I’ve mentioned in a previous article.) The Dao means the road or the way. Writing is like a road because you can venture into your notebook indefinitely. Meditation is also like a road, again, because you can meditate indefinitely. Some people talk about the idea of infinite games, and this is the concept I’m trying to express. If you play a game (or a practice) that never ends, and therefore has infinite potential, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to get into something truly different from what you currently know.

Finally, a suggestion. This is again from Nietzsche. He recommends to the young thinker: “don’t specialize”. I think this advice applies well to someone who is trying to get into something different from what they’re currently into, because you never know what avenue will lead to a new door. Therefore it’s better not to close any doors.