It Just Works
At a certain point early on, a child begins to understand that things happen for reasons. Before that point, the whole world is magical. Things just work. The example I was given of this stage of perception was that young child opening the cabinet each morning and the cereal is just there. No concept of where it had come from, the store or the farm. No concept that it might not be there one day. It just is.
Gradually, understanding comes. We begin to see the paths that lead to the ends. As we grow, knowledge of consequences enables us to solve problems or reach our goals. Still, there is some blindness in each of us.
As adults, we know the fact that everything has an origin. Whether that was a natural process or human intervention, what is exists because of what was. Awareness of the fact usually requires concious thought that we don't often engage in our daily lives. You roll out of bed in the morning, furious with your alarm clock, and you don't really consider how it was made or why it works. It's merely a puzzle that was solved long ago; its pieces assembled by workers you never knew; components manufactured through various processes, according to someone's specific design. For you, it just works. Those inventing, designing, or manufacturing the alarm clock may spend some time imagining an anonymous end user, but they, too, are mostly only getting a job done or finding a solution to a problem.
It's useful for us social creatures to be able to take some things for granted. Society can benefit from all that we can do, and each of us can go farther than we could alone. Imagine if you had to invent your own alarm clock, build it, and figure out how to generate the electricity to power it. The task is surely not impossible. However, the total number of accomplishments in your life would be limited (especially if you invented a snooze alarm,) and you might never reach new territory in thought. By assuming some things, humans can focus on others. We can each do what we do well. We can build on the work of others.
I have recently moved to a new position in the library where I work. Before our vacation, I mentioned part of that transition process, teaching those in my old department all the little invisible things I did every day. Some were vital to the way the department functioned. Others were only minor procedures I had developed or habits that kept the department running smoothly. Having to slow down and explain each step of that brought those anonymous contributions to the front of my mind. Once there, I took the next logical step. If I do things that go unnoticed, others certainly must, too. In becoming accustomed to the way your world runs smoothly, you become blinded to all the work that goes into that. Often, we only see how well our world functions normally when one piece malfunctions and we have to figure out why.
In the new position, I'm discovering all sorts of other things that go on at the library. Behind the activities I know well, where once there was only that childlike sense of things just working, are myriad processes and people who have to think about doing them. It takes care and conscious thought and expertise to make things "just work." The quiet, ignorable hum of activity in the background provides the steady environment for other endeavors to flourish. As Lao-Tzu siad, "Water is essential to all living things, yet it demands no pay or recognition."
Now, by saying this, I'm not trying to draw attention to one area over another. I'm not saying that some work is more important. Quite the opposite. The key is that all work is important. Human beings go through life with blinders on most of the time. We don't recognize the little contributions of others until something shakes us up. Our focus is engineered to keep us moving forward. But it can be enlightening to take a moment and expand your view. Consider what gifts others may have given you while you were caught up in your own struggles. You may not be able to name each favour. You may not even be able to conceive of many of the ways you benefit from the work of others, but knowing that you do is enough. Nobody does it alone. Even in our ignorance, we can be grateful because it just works.
Gradually, understanding comes. We begin to see the paths that lead to the ends. As we grow, knowledge of consequences enables us to solve problems or reach our goals. Still, there is some blindness in each of us.
As adults, we know the fact that everything has an origin. Whether that was a natural process or human intervention, what is exists because of what was. Awareness of the fact usually requires concious thought that we don't often engage in our daily lives. You roll out of bed in the morning, furious with your alarm clock, and you don't really consider how it was made or why it works. It's merely a puzzle that was solved long ago; its pieces assembled by workers you never knew; components manufactured through various processes, according to someone's specific design. For you, it just works. Those inventing, designing, or manufacturing the alarm clock may spend some time imagining an anonymous end user, but they, too, are mostly only getting a job done or finding a solution to a problem.
It's useful for us social creatures to be able to take some things for granted. Society can benefit from all that we can do, and each of us can go farther than we could alone. Imagine if you had to invent your own alarm clock, build it, and figure out how to generate the electricity to power it. The task is surely not impossible. However, the total number of accomplishments in your life would be limited (especially if you invented a snooze alarm,) and you might never reach new territory in thought. By assuming some things, humans can focus on others. We can each do what we do well. We can build on the work of others.
I have recently moved to a new position in the library where I work. Before our vacation, I mentioned part of that transition process, teaching those in my old department all the little invisible things I did every day. Some were vital to the way the department functioned. Others were only minor procedures I had developed or habits that kept the department running smoothly. Having to slow down and explain each step of that brought those anonymous contributions to the front of my mind. Once there, I took the next logical step. If I do things that go unnoticed, others certainly must, too. In becoming accustomed to the way your world runs smoothly, you become blinded to all the work that goes into that. Often, we only see how well our world functions normally when one piece malfunctions and we have to figure out why.
In the new position, I'm discovering all sorts of other things that go on at the library. Behind the activities I know well, where once there was only that childlike sense of things just working, are myriad processes and people who have to think about doing them. It takes care and conscious thought and expertise to make things "just work." The quiet, ignorable hum of activity in the background provides the steady environment for other endeavors to flourish. As Lao-Tzu siad, "Water is essential to all living things, yet it demands no pay or recognition."
Now, by saying this, I'm not trying to draw attention to one area over another. I'm not saying that some work is more important. Quite the opposite. The key is that all work is important. Human beings go through life with blinders on most of the time. We don't recognize the little contributions of others until something shakes us up. Our focus is engineered to keep us moving forward. But it can be enlightening to take a moment and expand your view. Consider what gifts others may have given you while you were caught up in your own struggles. You may not be able to name each favour. You may not even be able to conceive of many of the ways you benefit from the work of others, but knowing that you do is enough. Nobody does it alone. Even in our ignorance, we can be grateful because it just works.
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