Serendipity and Learning

I continue to be fascinated by the niches of the internet. It is like the long long Long Tail. If there is one place on earth that can bring people of interests together across the world, it is the internet. Whether is a specific cooking method or a baking bread or a dance form or art form or even something like making paper airplanes, the internet has it all. In that sense, never before has technology united humans in this fashion ever. At the same time, because of these niches, there are other areas which one never gets to see (well, that is the same in the real world - so this argument does not entirely wash). So, well, keep exploring...

What fun it is to see an expert have fun is it not? When you see someone improvising on a piece of music or dance or facilitation or sports - is it not fun? The amazing thing about this is that unless you are an expert you cannot have fun. (Hat tip to better half for articulating this.) Let me qualify. If you see an expert musician improvise on a piece - and it sounds so good - almost as if she is playing around with the music - it is fun, but it is also good. The expert can have fun in a way that it is still rhythmic, musical, enjoyable - you name it. It is not the same as clowning around - singing off key or missing all shots that are thrown at you. This is the magic - where the expert juggler can juggle with more fun than anyone else. See this violin maestro having fun with the violin - a classical musician playing a film song and having fun with it. See his expressions as he does it... Or watch Roger Federrer try out a new second serve return - that only an expert can...

One of my favorite interview questions is, "So, what are you learning nowadays?" Learning something is a great way to stay in touch with the learning process in itself. Ever so often, we build high walls around us that prevent us from learning - there is arrogance  (I know everything) and that often leads to being blindsided. I have been struggling with learning a new sport these days. Just the other day when I thought I had cracked it, I ended up with a hand injury that took a few days to heal. And then after that I had to face a coach who was making do a bunch of things which I thought was juvenile. I could hear my mind go, "Am I supposed to be doing all this?" "I am beyond this" "Why is this idiot making me do all this?" "I know all this - I learnt it in class 1" And then I realized that this is a typical response when we are confronted with change or sometimes with a different situation (at life or work). Learning ensur...