What do the Macintosh computer, operating system, and software, have to do with the way the world is run? To my way of thinking, plenty.
A long time ago I read a great New Age book called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig. It was about a father son motorcycle trip across America and the exploration of the concept of Quality. In the sequel, An Inquiry into Morals, Pirsig expands his exploration of Quality into a complete metaphysics which he calls The Metaphysics of Quality. He defines quality as the pursuit of intimate knowledge of anything, in this case, motorcycle maintenance. The intimate knowledge comes out of love for the thing itself. In other words, a good motorcycle mechanic is one who tinkers. He builds and takes apart his motorcycle a thousand times. He can't learn about his motorcycle from a book, or from a course. He must get in there and explore.
I'm a Macintosh guy. There are always PC guys and Macintosh girls or guys. PC's rule the world because Steve Jobs made a mistake a long time ago, which he has recently corrected, of not sharing the Mac platform for programming. So, PC's eventually had many more applications than Macs. This, despite the fact that Macs have always been easier to use.
We Macintosh people are devoted. I've used both Macs and PC's, and I can say there's no comparison. Macs win hands down. PC's are for geeks who love to be amateur programmers, because they've got all those subdirectories and slash this and “(/.damnthisthing*/*/=ii_)" that's. Macintosh's are point and click. Mac's are the original what you see is what you get, WYSIWYG.
I'm setting up websites now, and I'm struck by how easy the Mac sites are to create and maintain versus the PC sites. Still the same old distinction. PC sites take days, and even months to build. Mac sites can be up in a day.
What's the difference? PC people, the geeks, set their programs up until they work. Which is fine. Then, they stop, which is not fine.
Mac system and software programmers believe in quality. They go the extra mile. They tinker and tinker until they get it right. Mac people first get their programs to work. Then, they keep tinkering until they add user friendliness. They work their butts off to make a button which takes care of all the slash this and “(/.ican'tbelievethiscrap*/*/=ii_)" that's. Just click the button and you don't have to worry about subdirectories anymore.
Computer help shows are predominately for PC's. Why? Because they have to explain all the “(/.goingoutofmymind*/*/=ii_)" that's. If something goes wrong with a Mac, just fix it with a utility, which is user friendly.
Quality. Caring enough to love your job, computer, motorcycle, or country. Building and taking them apart a thousand times. Giving of yourself one hundred percent.
The problem is that this principle works with every kind of endeavor. I know you'll think this is a stretch, but not in my mind. The Islamo-facists who are attacking us now, love terror. They are a culture of death. They spend all day tinkering with their IED's, playing with fuses and shrapnel and gunpowder. They experiment where is the best place to place their marvelous creations. They try a road near a hospital, a school cafeteria, an open-air market. When they are successful, and they blow up a group of 60 infidels into a bloody mess, they jump up and down and cheer that "Allah is good." They really love their job. It is said that the Israeli Palestinian problem will end the day the Palestinians love their own children more than they hate the Israelis. The terrorists tinker every day with their bombs, and their hatreds. They are a culture using quality in the service of death.
In the end, the question will boil down to who wants it more. Who loves their cause more? Quality. I judge that we can win the war on terror only if we are fanatically devoted to our mission of peace. We must tinker with war too, war against terrorism and insurgencies. We must tinker with communicating our values to the world. We must tinker with staying good and pure while doing the dirty job of defending ourselves. Then, we have a chance of prevailing. If we do, if we ultimately love our cause more than they love theirs, I believe, quality will be used to serve goodness.
Zen this. To win the war on terror, but also for a better quality of life, I'm for a pure heart in a Macintosh kind of world.
(Note: Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
This Post's Technorati Tags: editorial, opinion, Macintosh computers, PC’s, quality, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance , Robert M. Pirsig , fanaticism, Islamo-facists, truth
8 comments:
rock said :
The Islamo-facists who are attacking us now...
they are attacking us in response of us attacking and trumping over their people since end of WWII.
but, yes, MacOS is much better then Windows.
Though using Macintosh vs Windows as a tool in neo-con propaganda is a lowly and dirty trick, to my liking...
... ah, well, I know, I am too scrupulous to be a neo-con partisan...
================
funny, but rock here seems to miss the irony in this bit of demagougery of his:
he compares "us vs terrorists" to "Mac vs PC" - guess what? both Mac and PC are as American as apple pie!
he, probably, subconsciously understands that "terrorist", like the PC, is also product of America ['s foreign policy]!
we just have to wait when rock's consciousness catches up with his subconsciousness...
he compares "us vs terrorists" to "Mac vs PC" - guess what? both Mac and PC are as American as apple pie
igor, I apologize to everyone if that is what comes across. I certainly don't mean to say that pc users are not good people. Wow. What I meant to say is that the Mac is just a better way of doing things, a means to an end. It in no way morally superior. If anything, the pc developers were morally superior, in one way, because they let their platform be used by everyone for development.
There are saints using PC's and sinners using Mac's and vice versa.
he compares "us vs terrorists" to "Mac vs PC" - guess what? both Mac and PC are as American as apple pie!
he, probably, subconsciously understands that "terrorist", like the PC, is also product of America ['s foreign policy]!
Now you speak about me instead of to me. You are so morallly superior aren't you, igor? About one in ten of your comments are relevant, insightful, and respectful.
Try upping the percentage.
rock said:
You are so morallly superior aren't you, igor?
Finally you noticed it !
Now you speak about me instead of to me.
Now I am serious:
here you get it absolutely right!
But what choices do I have?
Whenever I try to speak to you, whenever I ask you serious questions -
- (I admit, my questions are tough and un-convenient, unlike the ones the press-corp poodles direct to Tony...) -
- whenever I ask them - your only answer, if any, is calling me names....
Listen here, dear neo-con:
you started and own this blog, you keep the comments feature on;
if you want, as you claim in your blog's title, "truth, whether politically correct or not, right wing or left wing" - then you'd better start addressing readers' questions seriously and in good faith - without assuming: "as igor does not agree with me, he must be a terrorist".
if, on the other hand, you think of yourself as new billoreilly, and, in this blog, want to spread propaganda under "truth and no spin" label, then you'd better switch the comment feature off. Like billoreilly did.
you are to decide what it is you want.
Igor, you notice I keep the comment feature on. I also address you after each of your comments. I do believe in free speech. You are entitled to your opinion. I admit I have a hard time understanding where you're coming from. You don't identify your philosophy.
I make mine abundantly clear.
All I can figure out is that you are angry. Angry at America. Yet you say you're not a terrorist, and not a sympathizer of terrorists, and not of Islam itself.
What do you believe in? Just that America and American's are evil? Where is your website or blog? Who am I dealing with?
Are you just plain angry all the time? Are you just filled with hatred?
You are free to comment in any way you like, but this doesn't mean that I understand your points of view.
By the way, sometimes your questions are so detailed that I'm not going to take the time to respond to each detail. If I can, I will, but sometimes I just don't have the time.
And, all of what I say is opinion. Just my opinion. I'm sure I'm wrong sometimes, and right sometimes. Like you, I have a right to my opinion on these important matters.
Have a good day, igor.
why does your view of people is sooo ... black and white?
Why do you think that if "i am angry at America" (which I am not, I am angry at Bush&Co) that must mean that "i think that America and Americans are evil" ?
Example: You may be sometimes angry at your child, or at your lover - would that mean that you think they are evil? I guess not, but why then you apply that conclusion to me?!
=============
You have already came to conclusion that I am "liberal", "full of hatred", my "religion is dark", I am "evil", etc ... and still now you are asking what is my philosophy, what do I believe in, etc... now what is the meaning of that ? Is it a joke?
=============
opinions.... if I wanted to publisize my opinions, I would start my own blog or something. What I do here is just trying to apply your own promise of truth ... no spin ... no demagoguery to your own posts.
but why am I telling you this, you, in typical billoreilly style, ignored THE QUESTION: what is the purpose of your blog - to search for the truth, or to spread propaganda?
you said: you "just" express your opinions.
No good! It would serve as the answer to another question: "what do you do in your blog?" - "I express my opinions."
THE QUESTION is : WHY? Why do you publicly express your opinions? Are you trying to measure your opinion against others', discuss differences, and thus try to reach for the truth, -
- or, do you do it to disseminate your own view of issues (what a propaganda is) ?
.... as for the right to "just" express one's own opinion .... you know, opinion is like an ass; everybody has one, but you'd better not show it in public. Though you have a right to.
Well, you ignored my questions, didn't you.
Yes, I propagandize. I have a point of view, and I put it out there, and hope to make a difference. American's were good propagandists during WWII, but we're not doing as well in that department as of late. It's an important tool in democracy, or even for a dictator.
As I said, all I get coming from you is hatred. You refuse to state your philosophy. So, you are a sniper. Have at it.
I do wonder if you have positive feelings about anyone, besides terrorists. If you do, it would be refreshing to hear.
Okay, igor, we'll give it a rest for today. Take care.
What I read was a nice reminder of that great book (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) and how it relates to the current state of Mac OS X. Living here in NZ so far away from all the idealistic political crap, I think capitalism/consumerism is not a defence against religious fundamentalism (of any sort). But focusing on quality of peace (as opposed to quality of a cause) is Zen.
"Ain't gonna study no war no more"
anonymous, thanks for your comment. I'm not quite sure I get your point exactly. I do believe in the zen of peace. But just being for peace and thinking of it is not enough, unfortunately. Peace must also be defended. God, or the Universe, didn't make life so easy that all you have to do is think good thoughts to bring about a good life.
May we all have peace in our lifetime. May we earn the right for it.
Post a Comment