Huh. Not often dreams give you actual advice.

[kajarainbow]

Someone in the dream I just had advised me to "Whatever you pick, go all out on it. Don't just wobble between two things."

Friends, is that actual useful advice? What're your experiences on this?

Comments

and now, more from the desk of Captain Obvious.

[bossgoji.livejournal.com]

Well, it depends... if it's giving your all at something, sure. If it means focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all others, ehhh, not so much. But usually, figuring out what you're good at and pursuing it is a fairly good idea.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Well, it's generally good, so long as you don't ignore that whole 'life' thing.

:D

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I'd still be a self-hating boy who did Flash crap for a living with no hope of anything else, ever, if I'd wobbled.

[asrinmoore.livejournal.com]

Let your plans be as dark and impenitrable as the night, and when you strike, fall like the thunderbolt. -- Sun Tzu.

A samurai should decide upon his course of action in the space of seven seconds(seven heartbeats), and once decided, follow through with it until the plan is complete. -- unknown(Way of the Samurai?)

When parrying aside a blow, the way you hold your fingers shifts to accomodate the feeling of recieving the blow. Thusly, when preparing for an encounter, you need to decide how to best hold your hands, because a proper grip can mean the difference between success and defeat. -- Musashi

Of course, this is all from memory, I prolly got stuffs wrong.

[circuit-four.livejournal.com]

"Karate Yes, good. Karate No, good. Karate Maybe, squish like grape." -- Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid. (The idea being that if you're in the middle of the road, you're going to get hit by a car.)

I'm only partially being glib, here. My 10th grade English teacher, a major influence on me, was very fond of quoting that line. He even used it to summarize the various philosophies of Camus's The Plague and their effects on its characters - "God yes, good. God no, good. God maybe, squish like grape." I think there is something to be said for this notion.

But of course, there's something to said for "wobbling" between two states too. There's a certain power that comes from inhabiting a liminal space, neither A nor B, mediating between two extremes. You could probably find a few good Lao Tzu or Chiang Tzu quotes to contradict the quotes above, extolling the virtues of the never-chosen, never-formed, never-named.

Personally, my experiences are that any homily, quote, or rule of thumb should be taken with the utmost suspicion if not outright hostility. :) They're useful in the same way tarot readings can be useful - to put a little narrative form and emotional power behind something you already want or need to believe. There are times to be resolute and times to accept, even revel in your ambiguity. Make your decision, or lack thereof, and pick the set of aphorisms that will keep you healthy and happy and sane in the aftermath. :)

[ocean-state.livejournal.com]

iawtc.


There is not enough respect for ambiguity in the world, and not enough patience with people who can't jump into their groove quick enough.

Referring to my own experiences, I can think of times when I have regretted my lack of commitment to a particular thing, and other occasions when I've regretted signing up for Choice A or Choice B when I really wanted none of the above.