In the conclusion to his book Ever Since Darwin, Stephen J. Gould addresses our ability to answer nature's big questions thusly:
Really big questions succumb to the richness of nature—change can be directed or aimless, gradual or cataclysmic, selective or neutral. I will rejoice in the multifariousness of nature and leave the chimera of certainty to politicians and preachers.
In the past, I have found myself firmly in Gould's camp, which emphasizes pragmatic, delicate approaches to complex problems. This particular quote, however, made me think of our man, Andrew W.K.
In his wonderful lecture at NYU, Andrew W.K. questioned the typical intellectual resistance towards sincere discussion of "big ideas" (as a related fact, I have a t-shirt which explains the "big concepts" as follows: Who Am I? Why am I Here? What Is My Fate? Where Are The Cookies?). W.K. is certainly no trained academic; much of of his philosophy is not at all rooted in the dialectic tradition. Nor should it be. His approach to epistemology, the study of "thinking about how you think," is what interests me most. Throughout his lecture, he used the phrase "making a conscious effort" to describe everything from his musical influences to how he treats people he doesn't like. In a larger sense, the phrase "making a conscious effort" enables him to take on seemingly-insurmountable topics, because he does so with sincerity and an open mind.
It was interesting to observe the slow trickle of audience-members leaving the show, disappointed that the man who wrote "Party till you Puke" wasn't going to rock their bones. In truth, there was at least one balls-out-crazy moment (video), but the segway to this 11th avenue freakout was born out of his frustration at being unable to properly define how multiple dimensions work. Not to nerd out here, but I started the slow clap that led to this spontaneous moment, trying to re-build his train of thought. It was a fantastic moment in my life.
Anyways, I have begun to try and put to use W.K.'s mindset. I would even argue that this discovery started a while back, with post-awareness. Reconciling concept-based creativity and sincerity can be daunting, especially when so much of that creation relies heavily on referentiality. I take heart, however, that integrating "sincerity" with the party-hard aesthetic/attitude can't be all that easy, either.
More Andrew W.K. at NYU Videos
Posted by jeff at December 25, 2006 10:51 PM
Comments
Seperate of the AWK videos I thank you for posting (I had to work that night and thus missed my dream), I really like Stephen Jay Gould as a scientist and as a person. His work debunking shit, particularly faulty racial science and the starters of the anti-evolution movement, is to be commended. He also had a great guest appearance on the Simpsons, and wrote mainstream science articles for magazines so that the information wouldn't get constantly misstated.
So in short, Gould was a great guy, and it's too bad that he recently died. Everyone should be encouraged to read at least one of his books.
Posted by: dave | December 26, 2006 12:33 PM
awk is hilarious. like gallagher or something only musical and more buff. the guy recording those videos has a goofy laugh.
artists can't accomplish anything without sincerity. they would leave the human heart untouched.
way to make a conscious effort with your slow clap
Posted by: joel | December 26, 2006 12:34 PM
Lovin' the AWK videos.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 26, 2006 4:05 PM