RCAH 292 - What Matters

I'm initially at a loss to answer the question, "What Matters?" This alone gives some credence to the argument of Peter Block: that we don't prioritize things that matter enough. It also highlights what seems to be Block's strongest handicap, which is the ambiguity of his writing in The Answer to How is Yes.

To answer Block's questions, we first have to grasp exactly what he's talking about. Frequently using words with controversial or multiple meanings, making generalizations, and staying wholly in the abstract, this text requires some charitable reconstruction. With that in mind, we can take the questions Block presents and articulate the arguments within them.

1. There is more than one acceptable method to accomplish a given task, and our doubts are hindrances to our achieving well-being.

2 & 3. We universally prioritize expediency, and fail to evaluate the amount of commitment - not just in time and money, but in emotional capital - we're willing to make to a given task.

4. In order to enact change, we must take responsibility for our own contributions to the problem and potential solution, rather than dwell overlong on the failures of others.

5. We place too much value on tangible, measurable results, and not enough on personal meaning or things that matter.

6. The experiences of other people are relied upon overmuch in the evaluation of a plan or change, and we should concern ourselves more with what we're trying to achieve.

The underlying theme of all these arguments is a one-dimensional spectrum of sorts in which practicality is pitted against "the experience of being a human being and all that entails," Block's definition of what matters. Despite an abundance of blanket statements to the contrary, Block maintains that practical concerns are valid - just overdone, whereas we spend too little time on philosophical or abstract concerns.

We can return to the original question now with some idea of what that question's meaning is. There can be a personal element to it - with "what matters" varying from person to person - but in the context of this book, it refers to human creativity, ethics, and ideals. Applying that question to my own values - as all way-of-life philosophies should be tested - the answer would be "to pursue political justice, appreciate the experience of life, and weigh every action against those long-term goals." All these are concepts I already aim for; in as much as The Answer to How contributes to them, it helps their cause.