ZAMM
ZAMM: Limits of Reason, Scientific Thought
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM) by Robert Pirsig: “Phaedrus remembered a line from Thoreau: ‘You never gain something but that you lose something.’ And now he began to see for the first time the unbelievable magnitude of what man, when he gained power to understand and rule the world in terms [...]
ZAMM: Greek Warriors and the Virtue of ‘Excellence’ (Arete)
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), by Robert Pirsig: “‘What moves the Greek warrior to deeds of heroism,’ Kitto comments, ‘is not a sense of duty as we understand it- duty towards others: it is rather duty towards himself. He strives after that which we translate ‘virtue’ but is in Greek arete, [...]
ZAMM: Gumption… My New Favorite Word
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), by Robert Pirsig: “I like the world ‘gumption’ because its so homely and so forlorn and so out of style it looks as if it needs a friend and isn’t likely to reject anyone who comes along. It’s an old Scottish word, once used a lot [...]
ZAMM: Peace of Mind and How to Change the World
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), by Robert Pirsig: “So the thing to do when working on a motorcycle, as in any other task, is to cultivate the peace of mind which does not separate one’s self from one’s surroundings. When that is done successfully then everything else follows naturally. Peace of [...]
ZAMM: Columbus vs. Moon
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), by Robert Pirsig. …’Columbus has become such a schoolbook stereotype it’s almost impossible to imagine him as a living human being anymore. But if you really try to hold back your present knowledge about the consequences of his trip and project yourself into his situation, then [...]
ZAMM: BOO! Scared ya. (It’s Just Technology)
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), by Robert Pirsig: “It’s not the technology that’s scary. It’s what it does to the relations between people, life callers and operators, that’s scary.” -ZAMM
