What am I saying exactly when I say something (an event, project, or
person) is imbued with a quality I call workability? ie
when I assert or aver something works?
I'm setting aside, at least for now, the superficial,
obvious descriptors for workability. This
lightbulb works, that one doesn't. This
combination works to open the lock, that one doesn't.
These descriptors for workability imply functionality.
I'm also setting aside, at least for now, descriptors for workability
which are simply pragmatic. It works to stop at red
lights rather than at green ones. It works to floss.
It works to pay taxes on time.
And I'm also setting aside, at least for now, descriptors for
workability which are obviously common sense. It works to
hold your breath under water. It works to keep your
fingers off the hot stove.
Instead I'd like to consider just one particular descriptor for
workability which is all of functional and pragmatic and (even if in
hindsight) common sense and more ie and then some.
The rustic design of her English country garden works. The way
he arranges his desk works. Her novel approach to accounting
really works. That shirt with this
pair of jeans works on you. Even the seemingly dictatorial
"The way things work around here is we do it
my way or we don't do it at all!" works.
This conversation isn't about explaining how things work.
Neither is it about making things work. Nor is it about
learning to make things work. All the above may or may not
be present when things work ie when workability is
present. And even if some or all the above are present when
workability is present, I assert none of the
above are what makes workability work. In fact
it's the other way around: workability must be present
prior to any of the above.
Paradoxically
workability isn't necessarily a result of any of the above - and indeed
it might be.
Instead I assert what workability is, is this:
Workability is a context. When workability is present, a
certain context is present. Conversely when workability
isn't present, this certain context is absent. When things
work, a certain context is present. Conversely when
things don't work, this same context is absent ...
AND ... for you to make things work, you must bring this
certain context forth. This context, being present,
is what has things work. In other words, I assert workability
isworkability precisely because and only
because this certain context is present when things work
and when things are made to work.
Let's start with what workability isn't.
Workability isn't going through the motions. The statement "I'm
only doing my job!" isn't workability. Whenever, if ever
you resort to saying "I'm only doing my job!", it's almost classic you
probably aren't.
Let's say, for argument's sake, your job is to take a child to the park
to play on the swings, slides, and merry-go-rounds. The child
plays, and at some point, when you turn away for a moment, the child
gets lost in the crowd. You say "I'm only doing my job! My job is to
take the child to the park to play, but the child ran away by himself
and got lost. It's not my fault. I'm only doing my job!".
But that's exactly what you're not doing - your job. Let's
be clear about this. It's not the child getting lost which is you not
doing your job. It's your assertion "I'm only doing my
job!" which is you not doing your job. Said another way, "I'm
only doing my job!" doesn't work.
What doesn't work ie what's missing is workability. What's missing is
the context of workability, the context for
workability. What's missing is who you really are like a context,
like a possibility. When who you really are is present like a
context, like a possibility, then and only then things work.
When you bring forth, when you bring to the party who you
really are like a context, like a possibility, then and only
then things work.
Workability is present any time you bring forth who you really are like
a context, like a possibility. In order to make things work, you first
have to bring forth who you really are like a context, like a
possibility.
The rustic design of her English country garden works
because it supports who you really are being present like a context,
like a possibility ... AND ... because when she designed
it, she brought forth who she really is like a context, like a
possibility. The way he arranges his desk works because
when he arranges it, he brings forth who he really is like a context,
like a possibility. Her novel approach to accounting really
works because when she approaches accounting, she brings
forth who she really is like a context, like a possibility.
That shirt with this pair of jeans
works on you because they support you bringing forth who
you really are like a context, like a possibility. Even the seemingly
dictatorial "The way things work around here is we do it
my way or we don't do it at all!" works
because essentially, although it may not seem obvious at first, it
supports you bringing forth who you really are like a context, like a
possibility.
That's my thesis. It's not intended to be "the truth". Rather
it's intended to be a way of getting to what works ie as a
way of coming to grips with workability.