Sunday, March 29, 2009

Who Knows?

While one expects to meet many who would like to get into better shape (conducting conditioning classes), one often comes across a person who is already in great shape, but just doesn’t realize it -- because the cultural conditioning and socialization, is the belief that one isn’t, when such individuals may be an exception to that generalization. The presumption is that most people are in bad shape or need to be in better shape, but an invariable rare few, will actually be in quite remarkable shape, with remarkable genetic predispositions, but have no idea of that because those who have been in charge of their conditioning, simply didn’t bother to assess their present capabilities, or were incapable of competently doing so.

This is a very important aspect of conditioning and education that is overlooked -- what the student already brings into that first encounter and assessment of what they should be doing -- regardless of whether that is in fact necessary. Generally, the physical educator just starts in with their arbitrary list of what one ought to be doing -- and few have the ability to assess properly, one’s present capabilities, much less potential and ultimate capabilities, because so obsessed are they with establishing their superiority and dominance in that relationship. In fact, many have been educated to believe everybody begins with the same potential and ends up with the same ultimate potential -- as though individual variation were not a factor, which should be obvious is the largest difference between individuals .

What is most curious, is attending and observing an exercise class in which the instructor, may be the least fit among those in attendance -- yet most lack that ability and confidence to make that assessment. Instead, they will think that the instructor is knowledgeable or they wouldn’t in fact be the instructor, which is like learning to play the piano from someone who is less proficient than the student -- or anything else for that matter.

So one of the things any student should first inquire, is whether the proficiency of the instructor is actually greater than their own -- or what is the point of that instruction? Why would a master take lessons from the incompetent?

This is a much greater problem in education and professional service than is realized. Many just assume that those in their designated roles must know what they are talking about -- because they are the “professionals,” without inquiring much deeper, into should they be?

One of the most common presumptions in the world of information presently, is the question posed by professional journalists if they can ever be replaced, since they presume they they play that vital role of determining the truth -- rather than that they serve as intermediaries for that truth.

That’s a huge and fundamental mistake to make, and why they are so vulnerable to the challenge to that authority they’ve simply presumed they've earned. One is the primary source of truth, and the other is an intermediary in further popularizing that truth -- but he did not discover it, and so lacks the necessary foundation to move onto the next step. And that is the value of any information or insight -- that enables one to proceed to a logical next step, rather than being dead information that goes no further, and so becomes just an accumulation of knowledge rather than a vital process and capacity.

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