... And We're Back.

This installation includes a delightful selection of philosophy from Moshe Feldenkrais, from Awareness Through Movement. First published in 1972, it contains timeless snippets of wisdom with that distinctive air as only belongs to our elder, less commercialized predecessors.

But first, the news. I've been wondering if from time to time my random imaginings should again make it to print. Of course it's really great when people acknowledge them, and I love commenting on others' pages too, but I believe there was a time when sending my bottled messages into the aether did spike a feeling of loneliness for me. Little did I realize the messages coming back just weren't the same form in which I sent them. I've missed my blogging buddies and reading their precious insights. So here I am. Now, back to our story.

As many may be aware, the Feldenkrais method teaches that "As verbal abstraction becomes more successful and more efficient, man's thinking and imagination become further estranged from his feelings, senses, and even movements" but can be brought back into touch by certain motions (also poignantly illustrated in The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov, another favorite book). Leading to these exercises are a mere 60 pages, replete with stunningly keen observations, some of which follow:

The essential flaw in education as we know it today is that it is based on ancient and often primitive practices whose equalizing purpose was neither conscious nor clear. This flaw has its advantage since, having no defined purpose other than to mold individuals who will not be social misfits, education does not always succeed entirely in suppressing self-education.

Nobody knows the purpose of life, and the education that each generation passes on to the succeeding one is no more than a continuation of the habits of thought of the prevailing generation. Life has been a harsh struggle since the beginning of mankind; nature is not kind to creatures lacking awareness. Under such conditions of strain, education is improved only to the extent that is necessary and possible in order to bring up a new generation able to replace the old one under more or less similar conditions.

Still reading? This blew the stuffing out of me:

The basic biological tendency of any organism to grow and develop to its fullest extent has been largely governed by social and economic revolutions that improved living conditions for the majority and enabled greater numbers to reach a minimum of development (emphasis mine). Under these conditions basic potential development ceased in early adolescence because the demands of society enabled the members of the young generation to be accepted as useful individuals at the minimum stage.

The negative aspect of learning to achieve aims is that we tend to stop learning when we have mastered sufficient skills to attain our immediate objective. Thus, for instance, we improve our speech until we can make ourselves understood. But any person who wishes to speak with the clarity of an actor discovers that he must study speech for several years in order to achieve anything approaching his maximum potential in this direction. An intricate process of limiting ability accustoms man to make do with 5 percent of his potential without realizing that his development has been stunted.

How is such a vicious circle created, which at one and the same time stunts men's powers, yet permits them to feel reasonable self-satisfied for all that they have limited themselves to, a small proportion of their capacities? It is a curious situation.

Curious indeed. 'Til next time, lovies.