think

I started Makers (by Cory Doctorow) today. I was all of 16 pages into it when I had to put it down. No, not because it’s bad. So far, it’s pretty damn good. But because after the fifth page of cool ideas, I found myself thinking about the author as much as the story.

From what I remember reading about Doctorow, he pretty much knew from birth he was going to be a writer. His parents were intellectuals and no doubt removed any obstacles preventing him from pursuing his path. They encouraged him, guided him. Taught him to think.

I’m speculating. I only know what I’ve read from him, and what I admire most are the ideas that come out of the guy. He’s thrown away more good ideas than I’ve ever had.

I assume this is because first, he believes in himself and what he’s doing, and second, he is a very good thinker, which is a rarity these days.

Thinking is hard. Look at this election cycle. How many times have you been at work in the last six months and heard someone repeating nonsense from Fox News or CNN or whatever horseshit “media outlet” they watched/read the night before. I’m guilty of it. It’s much easier to read/watch and borrow than it is to think about what you’re taking in, perhaps do a little bit more in-depth reading on the subject and come up with your own personal take on the topic.

Even the smartest people you know are guilty of it.

I think it’s deplorable.

It’s only excusable in one sense: our education system isn’t teaching us to think anymore. Test scores are the thing. Read, memorize and regurgitate. Where’s the thinking part?

You don’t get it in undergrad, either. Undergrad is a continuation of the same methodology you get in high school. Read the book, take the final, get a grade. In grad school, you finally start getting into thoughtful education. They want you to think then, or at least, that was the case for me.

But what happened when I got out and started work? Do the job. Don’t think about the job, or anything remotely existential, just do the job. Thinking isn’t required, for the most part. Perhaps a bit of problem solving now and again. I’m speaking about myself here, but I wonder how many of you can relate. I’ll bet most of us don’t operate in environments ripe for the cultivation of new ideas.

And ideas are the thing. Ideas (followed by action) are what change the world.

I’m venting here. Frustration at myself. I’ve been trying to work on the plot for a new book for the past couple of weeks, and it’s like walking through mental quicksand. And  I keep asking myself, “why is this so fucking hard?”

Because I haven’t been thinking. I spend my days checking off boxes on to-do lists and then surfing the web. I can’t be the only one.

Food for thought, anyway.

edit: not bagging on teachers. I think they are largely hamstrung by the system. Also, I’m giving serious thought to becoming one of them.