eat with your eyes, your lives, February 8th
I don’t do dilettantism. At least, not as far as today’s standards. Today, Thoreau and I are on the same page.
WHAT IF THERE is less fire on the hearth, if there is more in the heart.
Henry David Thoreau
I don’t speak for the man, but a love everlasting isn’t an abstract concept. A fire burns if you feed it.
Once Upon A Word
Presently, the meaning of dilletante sums up to a dabbler, a person having a superficial interest in an art or branch of knowledge. Thanks, Merriam-Webster.
I met too many dilettantes peddling their wares in the blockchain industry; they all seem to focus on one outcome: money.
Its etymology, the origin of the word, stems from the Italian dilettare, to delight. Its first usage, now dated, suggested one as an admirer or lover of the arts.
What separates a dabbler from an admirer, you might ask. I point at actions. Dabblers stay in motion, many ways dancing around the subject. They do not act with a malicious intent, but list-making, for example, doesn’t mean you’re completing the to-do list. They chat about topics, but hesitate or otherwise, do not act.
Admirers often act, even if not professionally or perfectly. For what it’s worth, they do like Mr. Presley sang ever so astutely, “a little less conversation, a little more action please.”
They fail, perhaps. Then again, failure to act means nothing happens. Even in their attempts to write, read, paint or play an instrument, they move one step closer than their fellow dilettantes.
A fire burns if you feed it.
Feeding myself
The other afternoon, I fed myself a cheeseburger club, crunchy French fries and a fresh, cold salad of coleslaw. Doughboy Donuts prepared the meal, and I finished it. Sadly, my arrival in the afternoon didn’t bear any donuts left. Open around the clock, those confectionary delights probably emptied out in the morning.
I couldn’t believe the value of 10 dollars cash. Yet and still, I save for a conference ticket each day with fourteen, so James Clear might’ve been onto something with #atomichabits. Small changes, remarkable results.
This afternoon, a crabmeat sandwich awaits. As does an event with real dilettantes (dated). Two folks I met at the end of January at an event, the monthly gathering of folks interested in web3, invited me. Vince and Greg launch their app centered on connecting freelancers in Web3 to opportunities.
Now I’ve dabbled in learning code, even began to trade and program bots, but this chance I plan to take a large bite out of. Imagine the bounty of the network effect. I met one guy who showed me a network that introduced me to a new technology that revolutionizes the way we distribute value effectively changing the old paradigm from using your users to valuing them instead. Feast your eyes on that.
Post Summary
Dilettante doesn’t mean what it used to. From appreciator to dabbler, definitions change like industries.
The difference is action over motion. Many things feel like accomplishments, but chatting, listing and otherwise shifting doesn’t mean you’re doing anything. You have to act, or else nothin’ happens.
Do you work to live or live to work? I hope my work lets me live differently. So far, the work’s helped me meet different people, doing unique things. Let’s see what difference it makes.
