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Seventy-five pages into the “C” notebook, in spring 1838, Darwin’s confidence swelled. Grappling with these questions, he admitted, was “a most laborious, & painful effort of the mind,” the difficulties of which would never be solved without long meditation or by someone prejudiced against the whole notion. But once you grant that species “may pass into one another,” then the “whole fabric totters & falls.” Look around the world, Darwin coached himself. Study the gradation of intermediate forms. Study geographical distribution. Study the fossil record, and the geographical overlap between extinct creatures and similar living species. Consider all this evidence, he argued excitedly, and “the fabric falls!” The fabric was natural theology. For him it had fallen. Behind where that drapery had hung, Darwin saw the reality of evolution. It wasn’t just a matter of mockingbirds, rabbits, and skinks. It was the whole natural world. “But Man—wonderful Man,” he wrote, trying out ideas on this most dangerous point, “is an exception.” Then again, he added, man is clearly a mammal. He is not a deity. He possesses some of the same instincts and feelings as animals. Three lines below the first statement about man, Darwin negated it, concluding firmly that, no, “he is no exception.” From that terrible insight, despite pressures and implications, Charles Darwin would never retreat.
The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
David Quammen
When we are in the losses, we are not only more likely to stick to a losing course of action, but also to double down. This tendency is called escalation of commitment. Escalation of commitment is robust and universal, occurring in individuals, organizations, and governmental entities. All of us tend to get stuck in courses of action once started, especially in the face of bad news. Escalation of commitment doesn’t just occur in high-stakes situations. It also happens when the stakes are low, demonstrating the pervasiveness of the error.
The Result: Connection to All Wisdom People are always asking me if I studied yoga, Zen, or tai chi, which for years, I did not, although in recent years (from the time of this writing) I have become a student of Siddha Yoga meditation. I’ve simply decided that effortlessness would be my prime consideration, that anything not played from an effortless place is not worth playing. I don’t get my technique from studying technique. I get it from letting my hands and arms find their way without my interference. In doing so, I have unwittingly connected with the wisdom of the ancients. As I now read the writings of the great sages, I realize that I am on the same path, having the experiences they describe. Effortlessness allows us to become our own teachers, paving the way to mastery. If you get nothing else from this book, hopefully you’ll at least walk away with the realization that effort gets in the way of great playing. Effort and/or lack of preparation blocks true mastery.
Effortless Mastery
Kenny Werner
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