hmm, that might often be true but I do recall the story about the family who would always cut the last two inches off the roast before putting it in the oven and it turned out that this was because some generations before the grandparents had had a smaller oven that was too small to fit in a normal sized roast of meat ....
The religious pork taboo comes to mind. Once, it was really dangerous to eat pork, especially in warmer climates, as it was full of parasites. This has been fully solved through modern veterinary medicine, but the religious taboo still holds.
That said, I believe that the quote is right quite often.
I love the cassava anecdote. When to respect traditional knowledge, and when to challenge it, is a tough problem with no universal answer. I suspect society benefits most when there are some people doing both of those things.
I think that's right. I suspect we are in an epoch where people have become so spread thin that it is equally difficult to identify and retain what is good as it is to try something new. And I think that the current conformity is erroneous (not a reliable proxy for ancient wisdom). Hence, the tension.
The first breaker with tradition sometimes gets a bloody nose. Less often the breaker is rewarded, sometimes greatly. The scofflaw also has the smug satisfaction of being able to, well, scoff.
I’ve published over 50k words on substack in the last year and had my essays used as required reading for rounds at multiple hospitals im multiple specialties, and been informed by dozens of physicians that I’ve changed their practice, and yet because I didn’t pay for a publication to appear in a sci journal no one will ever read I’m being told I’ve done no academic activity. Meanwhile, a colleague who published a short paper based on surveys asking other professionals whether reading medical humanities essays like the ones I write affects their practice, fulfills all obligations. Ahhhhh, academics. 😂
I tend to play the academic devil's advocate in the comments (and hope for a future _with_ academic journals such as Open Mind). But saying you don't plan to publish in journals in a job interview - that's putting some serious money where your mouth is. I respect that!
Context also changes our interpretation sensory input without conformity being an issue! I once opened the fridge and recoiled in horror (had something gone bad? had a child left their socks?!) before I realized it was my washed-rind cheese and then it suddenly smelled wonderful.
Re the Heinrich cassava example: It's not technically the "confirming genes" that are passed down; it's that cultures that cultivate conformity survive and build civilizations.
Man, I loved this! I am a person who is constantly navigating the tension between being my freaky self and trying not to freak people out too much. I am slowly navigating my way towards the freaky end and learning as you shared, that, actually, no most people won't scream for my immediate exile. In fact it's a good way to separate those who truly appreciate my favorite parts from those who want me to conform to some particular type they are comfortable with. It's a journey.
Are you an angel sending this to me when I need it ? I’ve been battling the “what my parents wanted me to be” vs. what I am for so long. With the death of my father in December suddenly the equation changed. No one is looking. Yet that urge to conform - and all the supposed security that comes with it - is so powerful! Especially when I would like a more consistent paycheck. But I can’t go back to lying. Funny because the main thing I’ve been holding back on is my gradual turn right politically. This was great. I’ll upgrade to paid even though I’m not making enough because I believe in you.
Your article voiceover is amazing! I was maybe expecting it to be some lame robot voice or newfangled AI, but it was you and it was fantastic! I'm gonna be listening to all of your old articles now...
While some of the commenter's are focused on the importance of letting your freak flag fly, I am concerned about all the cassava procedures we're throwing away by ignoring the wisdom of our grandparents.
Decided to procrastinate working to read this, and worth it xD. What a lovely read.
Something clicked in me at a very young age when I realised shame and conforming didn't seem worth it, and I decided to be my unabashedly weird self. But being weird is hard – not just because people are mean, but also because it's never easy to separate what you want from what you're used to doing. At one point, being weird became the goal instead of being genuine. That wasn't nice in any way. So I went back, and forth, looking for what I wanted. Still trying to figure it out.
Loved this piece from start to finish. The conformity = cassava processing analogy is going to stay with me. Dead glad you didn’t get that job and have to play your fake self because your whacko self is excellent.
Your mooning-the-audience-during-job-talk story gave me actual deja vu, since I did basically the same thing in my last academic job talk (essentially telling them I thought psychology should be less empirical and more moralistic). Weirdly I did get the job, but only because the department itself was weird enough (in the best way) to want me. Then I ended up quitting and going fully rogue 4 years later anyway. :D
Your description of cassava processing brings to mind this quote from the novel “Courtship Rite”, by Donald Kingsbury:
Tradition is a set of solutions for which we have forgotten the problems. Throw away the solution, and you get the problem back.
hmm, that might often be true but I do recall the story about the family who would always cut the last two inches off the roast before putting it in the oven and it turned out that this was because some generations before the grandparents had had a smaller oven that was too small to fit in a normal sized roast of meat ....
Not necessarily, the problem might be long gone.
The religious pork taboo comes to mind. Once, it was really dangerous to eat pork, especially in warmer climates, as it was full of parasites. This has been fully solved through modern veterinary medicine, but the religious taboo still holds.
That said, I believe that the quote is right quite often.
Just down the road and across the pasture from Chesterton's fence!
I love the cassava anecdote. When to respect traditional knowledge, and when to challenge it, is a tough problem with no universal answer. I suspect society benefits most when there are some people doing both of those things.
I think that's right. I suspect we are in an epoch where people have become so spread thin that it is equally difficult to identify and retain what is good as it is to try something new. And I think that the current conformity is erroneous (not a reliable proxy for ancient wisdom). Hence, the tension.
The first breaker with tradition sometimes gets a bloody nose. Less often the breaker is rewarded, sometimes greatly. The scofflaw also has the smug satisfaction of being able to, well, scoff.
True wisdom lies in knowing when to conform and when to confront.
It takes both courage and humility to do either.
And it takes years of learning and failing to have those two.
Sounds like Niebuhr 's serenity prayer.
had to google that up, ahha of course have of this before
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
I’ve published over 50k words on substack in the last year and had my essays used as required reading for rounds at multiple hospitals im multiple specialties, and been informed by dozens of physicians that I’ve changed their practice, and yet because I didn’t pay for a publication to appear in a sci journal no one will ever read I’m being told I’ve done no academic activity. Meanwhile, a colleague who published a short paper based on surveys asking other professionals whether reading medical humanities essays like the ones I write affects their practice, fulfills all obligations. Ahhhhh, academics. 😂
I tend to play the academic devil's advocate in the comments (and hope for a future _with_ academic journals such as Open Mind). But saying you don't plan to publish in journals in a job interview - that's putting some serious money where your mouth is. I respect that!
Context also changes our interpretation sensory input without conformity being an issue! I once opened the fridge and recoiled in horror (had something gone bad? had a child left their socks?!) before I realized it was my washed-rind cheese and then it suddenly smelled wonderful.
I had this in reverse with a tiramisu that seemed "tangy" until my wife informed me it was, in fact, rancid
😬 it’s more fun the other way
Re the Heinrich cassava example: It's not technically the "confirming genes" that are passed down; it's that cultures that cultivate conformity survive and build civilizations.
Man, I loved this! I am a person who is constantly navigating the tension between being my freaky self and trying not to freak people out too much. I am slowly navigating my way towards the freaky end and learning as you shared, that, actually, no most people won't scream for my immediate exile. In fact it's a good way to separate those who truly appreciate my favorite parts from those who want me to conform to some particular type they are comfortable with. It's a journey.
Are you an angel sending this to me when I need it ? I’ve been battling the “what my parents wanted me to be” vs. what I am for so long. With the death of my father in December suddenly the equation changed. No one is looking. Yet that urge to conform - and all the supposed security that comes with it - is so powerful! Especially when I would like a more consistent paycheck. But I can’t go back to lying. Funny because the main thing I’ve been holding back on is my gradual turn right politically. This was great. I’ll upgrade to paid even though I’m not making enough because I believe in you.
I generally like reading Adam's stuff. He's a funny guy.
Your article voiceover is amazing! I was maybe expecting it to be some lame robot voice or newfangled AI, but it was you and it was fantastic! I'm gonna be listening to all of your old articles now...
While some of the commenter's are focused on the importance of letting your freak flag fly, I am concerned about all the cassava procedures we're throwing away by ignoring the wisdom of our grandparents.
Decided to procrastinate working to read this, and worth it xD. What a lovely read.
Something clicked in me at a very young age when I realised shame and conforming didn't seem worth it, and I decided to be my unabashedly weird self. But being weird is hard – not just because people are mean, but also because it's never easy to separate what you want from what you're used to doing. At one point, being weird became the goal instead of being genuine. That wasn't nice in any way. So I went back, and forth, looking for what I wanted. Still trying to figure it out.
A good way to put it––being genuine requires being weird, but the point of the weirdness is to be genuine
Loved this piece from start to finish. The conformity = cassava processing analogy is going to stay with me. Dead glad you didn’t get that job and have to play your fake self because your whacko self is excellent.
This was delightful. Thank you.
Your mooning-the-audience-during-job-talk story gave me actual deja vu, since I did basically the same thing in my last academic job talk (essentially telling them I thought psychology should be less empirical and more moralistic). Weirdly I did get the job, but only because the department itself was weird enough (in the best way) to want me. Then I ended up quitting and going fully rogue 4 years later anyway. :D