Just Go With The Flow - Alan Watts On The Universe

Summary

The script is a thought-provoking commentary on humanity's tendency to seek order and impose rigid structures on the inherently fluid and wiggly nature of our world. It criticizes our obsession with straight lines, grids, and boxes, which contradicts the curvaceous and undulating reality of the universe. The speaker argues that true freedom and pleasure lie in embracing the wiggliness of life, like waves and rivers, rather than resisting it through abstract concepts and confined spaces. By letting go of the anxiety to control and simply 'swim' with the flow, we can find harmony and elegance in our existence.

Takeaways

• 😕 Criticizes jogging as an exercise done incorrectly and lacking enjoyment.
• 🌍 Contrasts the rigid straight lines and grids humans impose on the naturally wiggly and curvaceous nature of the Earth.
• 🌊 Advocates for embracing the fluid, wavy, and undulating nature of the universe rather than resisting it with rigidity.
• 🥰 Appreciates the curvaceousness and wiggliness of women as opposed to the uninteresting straight shapes.
• 🐍 Views snakes as symbols of vitality, undulation, and waves - qualities that should be celebrated.
• 🏡 Critiques the human tendency to live in boxy homes and urban environments that suppress natural wiggliness.
• 💭 Argues that our penchant for categorization and labeling traps us in intellectual boxes that limit our thinking.
• 🌊 Encourages adapting to the fluid nature of the universe rather than seeking solidity or firm foundations.
• ⛵ Highlights activities like swimming, flying, and sailing as embracing the art of going with the flow.
• 😌 Suggests that true pleasure comes from living in the present moment without anxiety about the future.

Q & A

What is the speaker's view on jogging?

The speaker has a negative view of jogging, describing it as a 'dreadful exercise' and criticizing joggers for running in straight lines, which goes against the natural 'wiggly' nature of the Earth.

What is the speaker's perspective on straight lines and order?

The speaker sees the human passion for straight lines, order, and 'Euclidean' shapes as stemming from a 'simple mind' that fails to appreciate the 'curvaceous' and 'wiggly' nature of the world. He associates straight lines with rigidity and resistance to life's inherent 'waviness'.

How does the speaker contrast the concepts of 'wiggliness' and 'squareness'?

The speaker celebrates 'wiggliness' as a symbol of vitality, undulation, and harmony with the 'wiggly' nature of the universe. In contrast, he associates 'squareness' with rigidity, abstraction, and resistance to the 'flow element of life'.

What is the speaker's view on the human tendency to categorize and label things?

The speaker critiques the human tendency to categorize and label things as 'boxes', seeing it as a manifestation of the desire for order and classification that fails to capture the fluid and 'wiggly' nature of reality.

How does the speaker relate the concepts of fluidity and solidity to religion?

The speaker contrasts fluid and 'wiggly' religious beliefs, symbolized by a 'Paradise Garden', with rigid and 'square' religions that resist the 'flow element of life' and conceive of Heaven as an abstract 'Heavenly City'.

What is the speaker's perspective on the relationship between land and sea?

The speaker challenges the common perception of land as solid and sea as fluid, using examples like the reclaimed land sinking near his home to illustrate that land is also a 'liquid' and 'flows'.

How does the speaker view the human desire for survival and permanence?

The speaker sees the human passion for survival and permanence as an 'anxiety to go on' that ultimately ruins the pleasure of living in the present moment.

What is the speaker's advice for living a fulfilling life?

The speaker suggests that to live a fulfilling life, one must learn to 'swim' and adapt to the fluid and 'wiggly' nature of the universe, rather than clinging to rigidity or seeking a 'firm foundation'.

How does the speaker connect the concepts of 'wiggliness' and pleasure?

The speaker associates 'wiggliness' with curvaceousness, vitality, and the pleasures of life, contrasting it with the rigidity and unattractiveness of 'Euclidean' shapes.

What is the central theme or message of the speaker's discourse?

The central theme of the speaker's discourse is a celebration of the 'wiggly' and fluid nature of the universe, and a critique of the human tendency towards rigidity, order, and categorization that fails to harmonize with life's inherent 'waviness'.