Week 1 Reading

The Philosophical Musings of Zander

It is all invented. I like this premise. I have learned to view many aspects of the world this way. If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around, does it make a sound? No, only energy waves that are meaningless, except to the right sensors and a processing unit or brain that can assign meaning to them. The tree falling does not “sound” the same way to a bat or a whale. Human meaning assigned to the sound is largely based on experience. It is invented.

Stepping into a universe of possibility from a world of measurement is an eloquent way of conceptualizing “thinking outside the box.” Emotions such as joy, grace, awe, wholeness, passion, and compassion that are often relegated to the category of spirituality are abundant in a universe of possibility. I like the postulate that in the measurement world you set a goal and strive for it, in the universe of possibility you set the context and let life unfold. This is a very clever perception.

The author has some very good philosophical musings on the nature of grades. Grades often say little about the work done. I have assigned grades based on effort and achievement rather than mastery. “Giving an A” applied to education and life is transformational. I have seen how standards can wreak havoc in education. It goes back to the universe of possibility and not expectation. I like that. I am going to work on giving others in my life an A by changing my perceptions and attitudes.

How wonderful it would be if the players who are least engaged are the most committed was Tanya’s bow! I am going to look for that unfulfilled yearning to make a difference, for the graceful form with the excess stone.