Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

Werner At The Speed Of Choice

Laird Family Estate, Oak Knoll Appellation, Napa Valley, California, USA

November 10, 2014

This essay, Werner At The Speed Of Choice, is the twenty first in the complete group of Experiences Of A Friend (click here for the open group Experiences Of A Friend II):

so far, in that order.

I am indebted to Mark Spirtos who inspired this conversation.

Because there's nothing to get to be transformed, there's also nothing to do to be transformed. Remember, the single biggest barrier to being transformed is the assured belief you're not transformed - tell the truth now: that's hard to give up, isn't it? The implications of this are far-reaching. It implies transformation isn't something unusual, something hard to discover, something difficult to attain (there's nothing to attain - that's another tough one to give up). And before you say transformation can only be lived by extraordinary people, be careful: that's plain not true and is misleading. The truth is probably closer to: transformation is lived by ordinary people with extraordinary commitments.

What this results in ie what this makes available is something which more sooner than later becomes patently clear: transformation is most directly manifested by, and is most obviously demonstrated by being in action with nothing held back. So if you're looking to study a good example of transformation in action, look no further than the mirror ... and there you are. And if you don't get it from what you see in the mirror, then you could also look at Werner as just one example of a regular guy in action with nothing held back ie as just one example of an ordinary dude with extraordinary commitments.

<aside>

Speaking as Werner's friend (and as one of the legions of the Friends of Werner Erhard actually), I'd like to offer a critical insight here, which is this:

There are many ways you can see Werner. There are many ways you can regard him. There are many ways you can think about, construe, believe in, understand, figure out, conceptualize, and even just plain enjoy and be grateful for and celebrate who he is, what he's done, what he's accomplished, what he makes available, and what his work makes possible.

But ... (and this is the essential "but") if you haven't first and foremost seen him as a regular guy ie if you haven't first and foremost seen him as an ordinary dude (and by this I mean if you haven't first and foremost seen him as an ordinary dude even before you've seen him as an ordinary dude with extraordinary commitments), then I assert you haven't really seen him at all.

<un-aside>

One of the first things you can't help but notice about Werner is he's always in action. Always.

Always in action? Always? Really? Doesn't that require an awful lot of effort and concentration? Some would say so, yes. Yet the proof is as you watch Werner, you can't help but notice there's no effort or concentration in being always in action. And it's not that there really is a lot of effort and concentration in being always in action which is somehow expended cleverly and carefully giving the impression there's no effort or concentration in being always in action. No, it's not that at all. Really it's not. It's there's no effort or concentration in being always in action. None. Period. Really. Rather, it's a matter of choice. Yes, choice. And it's a matter of not just any old kind of choice. It's a matter of a particular kind of choice.

So what kind of choices are there? Consider apropos of this conversation, there are three:

Ordinary dichotomous choices

Two (ie more than one) alternatives: "Chocolate? or vanilla? Choose!"
Extraordinary non-dichotomous choices

One alternative: "Chocolate? Choose!"
Werner inspired / transformed choices

No (ie all) alternatives: "Choose!"

The ordinary dichotomous choice apropos of this conversation is choosing between being in action, or not being in action (as I said, an ordinary dichotomous choice is when there are two or more alternatives to choose between). From here, it's not too much of a stretch to consider a choice when there's only one alternative: the extraordinary non-dichotomous choice (in this case, being in action ... and there's no "or" ...).

However, as you watch Werner being always in action, you may see the possibility of simply choosing in a way which is neither the ordinary dichotomous choice, and nor is it the extraordinary non-dichotomous choice. Rather, this way of choosing, is choosing when there are no alternatives - which is to say, choosing when there are all alternatives.

<aside>

Choosing when there are no alternatives (which is to say, choosing when there are all alternatives) is double whammy Zen. Sit with it in your lap like a hot brick (it will drive you crazy if you try to figure it out).

<un-aside>

In other words, choosing when there are no alternatives (which is to say, choosing when there are all alternatives) is choosing whatever's in front of you. If you re‑choose transformation in this way ie by choosing whatever's in front of you (or, to say it in a way Werner may say it, by choosing and being with whatever's out‑here) each time and any time and every time, then you always have access to being free and to letting be.

Paradoxically (and it's not "if" but "when"), we will forget being transformed from time to time (which is to say we'll forget the access to being transformed from time to time) precisely because we try to make transformation into something. That's just it's nature. And that's the bad news. But transformation isn't measured by never forgetting it. The good news is transformation is measured by how fast you re-create it again once you realize you've forgotten it - which is to say transformation is measured by how fast you re-choose it again, once you realize you've forgotten it. And it actually works better if I say that without the "it" ie if instead of saying "... how fast you re-choose it again", I say "... how fast you re-choose again": "Transformation is measured by how fast you re-choose again ...".

If there's one thing worth getting from Werner (there are many things, myriads in fact, worth getting from Werner, but for the sake of this conversation, if there were only one thing worth getting from Werner) it's that transformation comes soonest to those who choose - not to those who choose between alternatives necessarily, not even to those who choose when there's only one alternative necessarily (although that's an extraordinary muscle to exercise), but simply to those who choose (period) ... even when there appears to be no alternatives. Choosing when there appears to be no alternatives, gives access to all alternatives ie to all possibilities.

Watching Werner being always in action, I see it's choosing which brings who Werner really is, into play. Similarly, it's choosing which brings who I really am into play, just as it's choosing which brings who you really are into play. That's it: choosing brings who we really are, into play. The faster we choose ie the faster we re‑choose, the faster we get it ie the faster we get it again, the faster it's all available again, the faster we're transformed again.

In this way, all of it becomes available like a possibility. It's Werner at the speed of choice.

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