Hardscrabble Farmer gives a lesson in observation and thought. From Hardscrabble Farmer at theburningplatform.com:
Anyone who has a desire to see things as they truly are need only apply a few basic skills to the task.
First, you must observe and it should be intentional. What am I seeing? What patterns emerge? What are the physics of the actions? What are the underlying motivations? What systems are in effect and what similarities and exceptions emerge. It is helpful if you start small- the act of swinging a hammer at nails several hundred thousand times will reveal a right way and a wrong way to hold the tool, to capitalize on the momentum, to focus energy, to account for the materials in use and the conditions.
After a million or more swings there will be very few secrets left and little left uncovered in the mystery of driving nails. Knowing what you do it will become next to impossible for someone to fool you into thinking there is a better way to swing a hammer or that it is really best used as a pry bar or demolition tool. You will have the experience and the discernment to know whether the guy next to you is a good carpenter or someone pretending that they know what they’re doing.
