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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is amazing and I happened to read it at just the right time in my life where it shaped a lot of how I think about tech

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is amazing and I happened to read it at just the right time in my life where it shaped a lot of how I think about technology and the different ways to approach it.

mrfusion 11y ago
Care to explain? I didn't really get anything like that from the book.
- minikites 11y ago
  It's been a while since I've re-read it so I might not have the finer points correct, but one of the main lessons is how the authors approach to motorcycle tweaking differs from the couple he is traveling with. He has a old bike that needs a mixture adjustment as they change altitude and he enjoys the act of figuring out how to make the engine run just right. In contrast, the couple he is traveling with has a new bike that makes all those adjustments automatically. The author takes great pains to point out that neither of these views is wrong, each one is enjoyable in its own way.
  - beeboop 11y ago
    I haven't read the book, but I found this summary: https://lettersfromtheporch.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/what-you-might-discover-from-zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance/ https://lettersfromtheporch.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/what-yo... You are close, but I think the message is more nuanced than you state (as you guessed). What the book seems to be contrasting is the "romantic" view of something (the emotions it generates) and the classical view (the logic and order of something). This applies to a lot of things in life (cooking, music, programming etc) and the book uses the examples of motorcycles. One person doesn't mind tinkering with his motorcycle because it's part of the "experience" and he finds an emotional appeal to it. The other person only sees the motorcycle as a means to a different experience (traveling) and only cares that it works for their purpose. The summmary says, "Only by finding the middle ground that accepts both views can a person deal with the frustration and dissatisfaction of everyday life." I am not sure how finding the middle ground would make me more satisfied with life. I understand cooking has very romantic feelings for some people, but to me it's a chore. I don't have the same experiences, background, and emotional wiring as someone who enjoys cooking, and I don't think I ever will. Understanding that other people like it doesn't make me like it anymore. I guess maybe the point of the book is to try to view things romantically, and giving that view a chance.

mrfusion 11y ago

Care to explain? I didn't really get anything like that from the book.

minikites 11y ago
It's been a while since I've re-read it so I might not have the finer points correct, but one of the main lessons is how the authors approach to motorcycle tweaking differs from the couple he is traveling with. He has a old bike that needs a mixture adjustment as they change altitude and he enjoys the act of figuring out how to make the engine run just right. In contrast, the couple he is traveling with has a new bike that makes all those adjustments automatically. The author takes great pains to point out that neither of these views is wrong, each one is enjoyable in its own way.
- beeboop 11y ago
  I haven't read the book, but I found this summary: https://lettersfromtheporch.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/what-you-might-discover-from-zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance/ https://lettersfromtheporch.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/what-yo... You are close, but I think the message is more nuanced than you state (as you guessed). What the book seems to be contrasting is the "romantic" view of something (the emotions it generates) and the classical view (the logic and order of something). This applies to a lot of things in life (cooking, music, programming etc) and the book uses the examples of motorcycles. One person doesn't mind tinkering with his motorcycle because it's part of the "experience" and he finds an emotional appeal to it. The other person only sees the motorcycle as a means to a different experience (traveling) and only cares that it works for their purpose. The summmary says, "Only by finding the middle ground that accepts both views can a person deal with the frustration and dissatisfaction of everyday life." I am not sure how finding the middle ground would make me more satisfied with life. I understand cooking has very romantic feelings for some people, but to me it's a chore. I don't have the same experiences, background, and emotional wiring as someone who enjoys cooking, and I don't think I ever will. Understanding that other people like it doesn't make me like it anymore. I guess maybe the point of the book is to try to view things romantically, and giving that view a chance.