Nothing Was Ever Created by Two Men \ stacker news ~BooksAndArticles

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787 sats \ 26 comments \ @kr 13h BooksAndArticles

The other day I picked up John Steinbeck's book called East of Eden (the first book I've read from him), and I found the following quote that stopped me in my tracks and made me put the book down and think.

Really powerful stuff.

"Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man.

Nothing was ever created by two men.

There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy.

Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything.

The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man.

And now the forces marshaled around the concept of the group have declared a war of extermination on that preciousness, the mind of man. By disparagement, by starvation, by repressions, forced direction, and the stunning hammerblows of conditioning, the free, roving mind is being pursued, roped, blunted, drugged.

It is a sad suicidal course our species seems to have taken.

And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.

And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.

And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.

This is what I am and what I am about. I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for this is one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system.

Surely I can understand this, and I hate it and I will fight against it to preserve the one thing that separates us from the uncreative beasts.

If the glory can be killed, we are lost."

-- John Steinbeck

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25 sats \ 0 replies \ @Aardvark 13h

Im going to put this on my audible que. Seems like something i could use right about now.

10 sats \ 3 replies \ @k00b 13h

Beautiful book. I read it only a few years ago. I couldn't put it down.

142 sats \ 2 replies \ @kr OP 13h

I might have to start reading more fiction, I felt the same way. I was on the verge of falling asleep when I picked up the book, expecting to read 10 minutes and go to bed... but 3 hours later I was wide awake still reading.

15 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 13h

Fiction is often thought of as impractical and frivolous for some reason. IME if learning abstract things is the goal, great fiction is much more practical and effective than most nonfiction.

100 sats \ 0 replies \ @kr OP 12h

Fiction is often thought of as impractical and frivolous for some reason

Yeah, I think it's rooted in the idea that fiction = not real.

On the surface it seems like a made up story wouldn't be useful to know in the "real world", but it's hard to believe that when you read great fiction.

Also, the value is harder to quantify, it doesn't always appear where you expect it to, and it's hard to rationalize (to yourself or others) why you're spending hours reading about things that may have never even happened. I guess that's what keeps some people away from the genre entirely.

10 sats \ 7 replies \ @grayruby 12h

What about the Wright Brothers?

65 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 10h

fun fact: these guys are supposedly my great great grand uncles on mother's side

38 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 10h

That's cool. Innovator's spirit passed down.

45 sats \ 3 replies \ @kr OP 11h

I don't know enough about their story, but I wouldn't be surprised if the process of creation was actually one of them coming up with a novel idea, the other building on it with a novel idea of their own, and on and on.

From a legal and PR standpoint it makes sense to consider the "Wright Brothers" as inventors, but I highly doubt they both simultaneously came up with the ideas that went into the airplane.

Edit: ChatGPT shares some context below:

Wilbur Wright is often considered the more analytical and philosophical of the two—he was the primary thinker behind many of their theoretical breakthroughs.

Orville Wright was more mechanically inclined and built many of the machines and parts.

15 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby 11h

Sure the initial idea was likely one of them but they created the Wright Flyer together as pointed out by your ChatGPT edit.

It's quite possible that the initial idea was stupid. I want to fly so I should build myself wings and I will stand on the roof and flap them and fly like a bird. Then the other guy says "interesting but maybe we should try it another way because that way is stupid and going to get you killed".

In this case we give sole credit to the guy with the initial idea?

Not saying this is what occurred but I am sure there are many such cases of people with ideas that never would have created anything without others to help turn them into good ideas.

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @kr OP 10h

In this case we give sole credit to the guy with the initial idea?

Not sole credit for the whole project, just saying that one person came up with the idea, breakthrough, formula, etc...

Maybe Apple is a good modern example. Steve Jobs doesn't deserve sole credit for the company, he doesn't even deserve sole credit for any of their products, but one day he made a set of breakthroughs or decisions that other people built upon which led to new products that wouldn't exist if he weren't there.

Again, no question other people were involved and were important players in building on those breakthrough ideas, but I think Steinbeck's point is that the task of going from 0 to 1 requires an individual to make a breakthrough, not a committee.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 10h

I am just being particular with the notion "created". I of course agree the idea only comes from one person.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Solomonsatoshi 9h

He may not have been first but he did it alone!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pearse

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @crrdlx 8h

I love Steinbeck, so earthy and real. Odd thing is, his political leanings really contradict this quote. He had some pretty socialist/leftist/collectivist leanings. This quote above is much more like something Ayn Rand would write and is awesome. I still love Steinbeck's writings though (and Rand's). Also, your post reminded me of the "Life's Little Instruction Book". Number 379 said about the same thing.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @kr OP 8h

hadn't heard of this book before, will check it out!

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @crrdlx 7h

https://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Little-Instruction-Book-Observations/dp/1558538356

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @Solomonsatoshi 8h

Satoshi built the protocol but the protocol only has utility and meaning because we adopted it and it lives as a decentralised algorithm that treats us all equally without fear or favour.

Wasn't Steinbeck a Socialist?

'In 1939, he signed a letter with some other writers in support of the Soviet invasion of Finland and the Soviet-established puppet government.'

7 sats \ 0 replies \ @crrdlx 7h

That's what I was saying in another reply. Kind of surprising to read these words. Still, he wrote great stuff. He knew people, maybe didn't understand economics.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Jerrian_thedeep 13h outlawed

stackers have outlawed this. turn on wild west mode in your /settings to see outlawed content.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Paterfull 9h

Wright Brotheres were two men

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @sangekrypto 11h

like a real story book, worth reading and absorbing.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Dkryptoenth 12h

@kr too bad you didn't make your research well before coming up with that title cos the Airplane Was designed and built by 2 brothers (Males/Men) by name Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright .

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kr OP 11h

Too bad you can't read. It doesn't say two men can't design or build things.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @zapsammy 12h

https://www.bitchute.com/video/4Vt2DncEq22C The REAL Law Of Attraction & How To Apply It In Your Life

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @OT 13h

The Sovereign Individual