Monday, March 8, 2010

Wen Tzu - Verse 160, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Sixty
Those who know where laws come from adapt them to the times; the who do not know the source of ways to order may follow them but eventually wind up in chaos. Scholars nowadays practice their work routinely, holding books in their hands and watching out for rules of grammar, wishing to effect social order by this means. Is this not holding onto a prescription that has failed to cure, or putting a square peg in a round hole? It will be hard to get the right fit.
~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
Boy, do I understand this passage!!

As I've stated before, I don't possess the best analytical skills when it comes to anything other than facts. Consequently, when it comes to applying procedures to reach a certain end, I tend to memorize the steps in the process. As long as all the variables occur in the proper time and format, things go along fine and dandy. Where I run into problems again and again is when one of the variables changes slightly, then the steps I've committed to memory don't jibe with the situation and the results often are less than palatable.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.

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