"A few strong instincts and a few plain rules suffice us."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tricycle delivered another gem of a story yesterday from the book Zen Flesh, Zen Bones:
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can't you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
The short tale was ready for multiple interpretations but paired ideally with an article I had just read titled "Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?" The New York Times feature was written by science journalist Gary Taubes, who also authored the newly released book "Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control and Disease" that's sure to reignite the high carb vs. low carb debate. Just in time for your holiday eating pleasure!
The gist of Taubes' article is this: be skeptical of any announcement that claims some new drug or an aspect of our diet or lifestyle is killing us or making us healthier. The research and science, he claims, is often flawed and faulty, especially if it's the first report.
I've learned to be skeptical simply through the experience of reading one conflicting report after another, scientific journalism included. Here's the good thing about all of the clashing opinions and resultant noise: it invites me to trust my own instincts and appreciate the time honored, well-worn practices that have served me.
I want to be open-minded and will try something new if it feels right, as yoga did for me nearly 20 years ago. However, as my allowance for 20-year long experiments begins to lessen, I want to develop stronger instincts along with the trust to adopt and adapt with greater agility.
Read: Gary Taubes' article.
Read: "...the Sorry State of Science Journalism" by someone who refutes Taubes' findings and reporting tactics.
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can't you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
The short tale was ready for multiple interpretations but paired ideally with an article I had just read titled "Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?" The New York Times feature was written by science journalist Gary Taubes, who also authored the newly released book "Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control and Disease" that's sure to reignite the high carb vs. low carb debate. Just in time for your holiday eating pleasure!
The gist of Taubes' article is this: be skeptical of any announcement that claims some new drug or an aspect of our diet or lifestyle is killing us or making us healthier. The research and science, he claims, is often flawed and faulty, especially if it's the first report.
I've learned to be skeptical simply through the experience of reading one conflicting report after another, scientific journalism included. Here's the good thing about all of the clashing opinions and resultant noise: it invites me to trust my own instincts and appreciate the time honored, well-worn practices that have served me.
I want to be open-minded and will try something new if it feels right, as yoga did for me nearly 20 years ago. However, as my allowance for 20-year long experiments begins to lessen, I want to develop stronger instincts along with the trust to adopt and adapt with greater agility.
Read: Gary Taubes' article.
Read: "...the Sorry State of Science Journalism" by someone who refutes Taubes' findings and reporting tactics.
Artwork: Chapter 1, by Julie Paschkis