Category: Techniques

“It is just this ability to stand alone, and not feel guilty or harassed about it, of which the average person is incapable.”

– Henry Miller, “Wisdom of the Heart“

In photography and knowledge work, such as academic research, as well as in  martial arts, feedback from others (mentors and teachers, friends and family, peers, training partners, models, audience) can be tremendously useful and can save enormous amounts of trial and error, which ultimately translates to time. However, if the goal is excellence, the actions must, at some point diverge from the those of the majority of other people. This not being different for the sake of being different, although there is some value in that too, especially for artists. Instead, it is a function of confidence that is earned through humble practice.

I come across this concept of balance between receiving advice and ignoring it all the time, often through my work on the editorial board of a scientific journal. Recently, the same idea came up in an interview that I listened to during random fragments of time last week. Dr. Peter Diamandis, who has been named one of “the world’s 50 greatest leaders” by Fortune Magazine and who wrote several influential books, including “Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World,” commented on the common traits of the illustrious modern entrepreneurs that he had an opportunity to work with, such as Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Larry Page. He pointed out, that despite their very different backgrounds and personalities, these people have a common tendency to “think on their own.” They built their successes by being themselves rather than emulating someone else.

I am wondering if this self-confidence is a inherent trait or a product of environment and practice. In other words, can nurture help nature in developing this ability to think and act truly independently of the opinion of the majority? If the answer is positive, as I suspect it is, an even more interesting question would be whether the majority (or indeed, everyone) has the ability or should practice this skill. Wouldn’t it re-define what “majority” is, if everyone becomes an exception?

There is a ton of literature and online resources that teach about effectiveness of consistent morning routines. Many authors, including Tim Ferriss, who wrote “The 4-Hour Body“, point out that it is just as important to break the routines up from time to time to avoid burnout. For example, Tim said that the exercise done for results (strength, endurance, flexibility) is most effective when done consistently, i.e. without much change day-to-day, but recreational activities a best (read: more fun) when they are varied.

I have been incorporating walking into my morning exercise. A couple of weeks ago, I took a decidedly un-urban route to the top of the Mt. Doug. Today, in the spirit of changing things up, I took a short walk through our neighborhood and am typing these words on my phone in a local Starbucks. (No, it is not in Paris, despite the photo above…)

I think that mixing things up every now and then is ultimately good for any activity (I am thinking research and photography in particular). It is allowing myself to do it without potentially sacrificing efficiency in the short term that is challenging.

Many writers commented of the benefits of writing a journal and otherwise making writing a part of their daily routine. Besides increasing their productivity, developing writing skills and other obvious benefits, regular self-expression has a deeper underlying reason. As Kevin Kelly, an amazingly prolific author on the subject of technology, explained in an interview that I heard recently, it is not that we have something to say, and then we write about it. We write in order to find out what we have to say. In other words, we formulate our thoughts by writing them down.

A good example for this is academic research, where communicating the results through published articles is an integral part of the process. When I work with graduate students on a new project, we start outlining a future journal paper before starting the experiments that would eventually form its core. Doing so helps us define the focus as we work.

In a similar way, photography helps me appreciate the subject, whether it is a location, a building, a person or an event. Often, I do not have a particularly clear idea of what it was that attracted me to the subject to begin with, but by photographing it, I am able to find out its unique features. Just as writing (whether creative or technical), photography is a way of expressing our understanding of the subject. This very process crystallizes the intuitive aspects of understanding, ultimately deepening our knowledge. I think that more often than not, the author benefits from the process more than the audience does from the resulting work.