Love this; embodying problems, allowing them to penetrate your psyche, the rhythm of your steps when walking, and trusting that you will be able to sit with them and then exorcise them, procures the solution
Astounding is exactly the word! He must have been able to keep quite a lot in his mind to publish a paper a day for over a decade! Or is it that his deep and broad understanding in each occupied field sprouted —indeed, effortlessly— many papers from the same ground, as it were?
been thinking about it recently as paying attention to the problem, not as I perceive it in my head, but as I perceive it in my spine. Almost by defn, the vantage from my spine is harder to put into words (much richer than words), harder to articulate with my mouth. But after enough time, in a couple instances, this kinda gut/spine meditation has created space a world of words which ultimately solve the original problem. Like an ocean... love these inarticulable patient spaces
What a metaphor. There is force to the sea and its waters, too, but the differentiating factor is in the application of that force—something to remember when wrangling with irksome or especially hard problems. Thank you for sharing another useful idea!
Thanks for writing this. I'm currently writing something and becoming sort of impatient and guilty for spending so much time on it. While at the same time I couldn't be "done" with it because I knew I haven't thought it through well enough. Your essay helps me accept the challenge and be more patient. Rushed writing is rushed thinking.
As someone who has looked into solving the problems of Biathlon, I feel immersing yourself in the problem is the only way to come up with complex or even necessarily convoluted solutions. I have many examples, but biathlon is all about equiptment but only understanding the problems bad equiptment brings and the available solutions. In these environments understanding the problem leads innovative and unique solutions.
I especially liked how you described how different people work on their writing and projects and at the end how you describe how Grothendieck was able to create so much was because he had waited and let everything grow before it sprouted.
I enjoyed the passage and how it values going deep into one's understanding of a problem or subject, as well as the transformative effects it can have on problem-solving and creativity.
I, like the subject of your article, also just embody problems. I like to exist in my head with most difficult puzzles and problems until it is just like the breath of me to release their solutions. As fast as I can write. Unfortunately I also suffer from hesitation to release. It's like a physically painful blockage. I have all the answers I just can't get them past the pain in my throat. Even if I write them instead of speak them, sometimes it's so painful I have to give up and rest. When the answers grow inside your mind, it hurts to push them to surface I guess.
The 60's was a crazy time, but the nomenclature of the way that things were then was that we were a society of people caught up in the frenetic pace of keeping step with whatever the prevailing consensus was -- we didn't know or we had the foggiest idea of who we were.
I particular resonate with the slower longer approach of problem solving..... these days I’m honestly just marinating in a lot of IDEAS and waiting for a day when clarity comes 😂
I love those periods of gestating. My life clearly goes through cycles where I go from incubation to gradual more clarity and action and then back again. Right now feel like I'm coming out of a period of marinating and feel like doing more stuff.
Love this; embodying problems, allowing them to penetrate your psyche, the rhythm of your steps when walking, and trusting that you will be able to sit with them and then exorcise them, procures the solution
Astounding is exactly the word! He must have been able to keep quite a lot in his mind to publish a paper a day for over a decade! Or is it that his deep and broad understanding in each occupied field sprouted —indeed, effortlessly— many papers from the same ground, as it were?
been thinking about it recently as paying attention to the problem, not as I perceive it in my head, but as I perceive it in my spine. Almost by defn, the vantage from my spine is harder to put into words (much richer than words), harder to articulate with my mouth. But after enough time, in a couple instances, this kinda gut/spine meditation has created space a world of words which ultimately solve the original problem. Like an ocean... love these inarticulable patient spaces
Thanks for drawing this thread henrik
Why "spine" as opposed to "gut"?
for me, back of gut (spine) feels like a bigger source of truth
What a metaphor. There is force to the sea and its waters, too, but the differentiating factor is in the application of that force—something to remember when wrangling with irksome or especially hard problems. Thank you for sharing another useful idea!
Thanks for writing this. I'm currently writing something and becoming sort of impatient and guilty for spending so much time on it. While at the same time I couldn't be "done" with it because I knew I haven't thought it through well enough. Your essay helps me accept the challenge and be more patient. Rushed writing is rushed thinking.
As someone who has looked into solving the problems of Biathlon, I feel immersing yourself in the problem is the only way to come up with complex or even necessarily convoluted solutions. I have many examples, but biathlon is all about equiptment but only understanding the problems bad equiptment brings and the available solutions. In these environments understanding the problem leads innovative and unique solutions.
I especially liked how you described how different people work on their writing and projects and at the end how you describe how Grothendieck was able to create so much was because he had waited and let everything grow before it sprouted.
I enjoyed the passage and how it values going deep into one's understanding of a problem or subject, as well as the transformative effects it can have on problem-solving and creativity.
I, like the subject of your article, also just embody problems. I like to exist in my head with most difficult puzzles and problems until it is just like the breath of me to release their solutions. As fast as I can write. Unfortunately I also suffer from hesitation to release. It's like a physically painful blockage. I have all the answers I just can't get them past the pain in my throat. Even if I write them instead of speak them, sometimes it's so painful I have to give up and rest. When the answers grow inside your mind, it hurts to push them to surface I guess.
The 60's was a crazy time, but the nomenclature of the way that things were then was that we were a society of people caught up in the frenetic pace of keeping step with whatever the prevailing consensus was -- we didn't know or we had the foggiest idea of who we were.
This was delightful reading. Thanks for sharing, Henrik
Another spectacular read. Love your work!!
I particular resonate with the slower longer approach of problem solving..... these days I’m honestly just marinating in a lot of IDEAS and waiting for a day when clarity comes 😂
I love those periods of gestating. My life clearly goes through cycles where I go from incubation to gradual more clarity and action and then back again. Right now feel like I'm coming out of a period of marinating and feel like doing more stuff.