Shall perseverance Rule disappearance Bridges connect Rivers undammed Benign link Even through stink Boredom ignored Pain implored
To keep going, apparently from the Old French, remains a sort of virtue. Onward is a cry that stirs while singular strings lead to whatever comes next. When one says “continue”, it implies an action set clearly definable (one doesn’t typically continue to do things at random, though that is a definable category). Keeping on and keeping on and such. Is it truly virtuous to persevere? Or is it perhaps best to wisely cut bait? Such is the nature of a raging debate, one of the truly dualistic kinds. Ask the authors of a book like Range and you hear that generalists that skip from specialty to specialty will find resonance. Read almost any biography, however, and you’ll be transported to a realm of disciplined continuity in a least one thing. The noteworthy rarely arises from a scratch of effort; the noteworthy may not be the higher good in life either. To pass through the world quietly but without continuity – can it be done? It seems a contradiction. That which is heterogenous is interesting, drawing attention to itself. That which does the same thing gain and again is only worth brief study. However, the depth of the singular master’s understanding will blind the novelty of the dabbler. Will the dabbler’s engagement in new questions manufacture more life-meaning-juice than the expert? Probably depends on where meaning comes from, something that neither the continuer nor the stopper can say for the other (meaning from the well done vs. meaning from the new).
Carry along Your bucket of water Diligent filler Thirst not Strength thus While another experiments Pumps and ramps While transporting only a cup Daily water to mouth The attempts do cost Who is correct The daily quenched Or the eventual city quencher And yet both continued
Roman Ryan 