The Metaphorical Fire
There’s a technique of creating a fire by rubbing a stick into an open log called “The Fire Plow Method”.
This is the same one we saw in the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks.
Now, knowing how to do this is one thing, but actually pulling it off is another.
You have to have things just right, or you’ll be spinning your wheels (not to mention killing your arms and hands) for hours with no fruit to bare.
My point isn’t to show you how to build a fire, it’s to discuss why.
The why may seem obvious (to warm ourselves and/or cook our food), but not when you discuss the psychological attributes of just “knowing” how to build a fire.
What I’m talking about, is self reliance.
When I create anything, a story, a song, an article, there’s a part where I must ask “What is the purpose behind this expression?” This question almost inevitably leads to “How can those I care about apply this in their daily lives?”
You should be able to see my challenge now.
It’s not just about how to build a fire, it’s about how you feel about being able to build a fire.
So, here we stand, discussing the feeling of being self-reliant. The feeling of learning more skills, knowing we can adjust, enhance our skill-set, and feel proud of our ability to experience new experiences.
And that’s when it all starts making sense.
We love to learn new skills, whether we will actually ever use them or not.
This is a huge fulfillment for me. Just knowing that we love to learn new things., not just to know them, but to feel good about ourselves sharing them.
No doubt, this is where enjoyment lies.
So, next time you ask why you’re learning a new skill or technique, or why you’d bother learning something you may never use, you now have you answer.
Because it feels good just knowing how to do it.
