Regarding the example used I should think the way to learn that is to do
it with a developed roll in the light, then try it with your eyes closed
(opening them when you think you feel it going badly), and finally doing
it in the dark.  I realize this analogy may not work in all situations
but I think it sure beats trying to start in the dark with someone
else's hands guiding yours or following someone else's motions with your
hands.

I do a lot of my own car repair, much of it by feel in the dark or in
places I can't see.   It sure helps if I've done it under conditions
where I could see how the parts go together.

The benefits of teaching yourself to do something "in the dark" (you may
think up a new way) have to be weighed against the benefit of making big
strides in the early part of the "learning curve" so you can get on the
finer points of the learning process or skill.  I tried to teach myself
to fly model airplanes and crashed them several times before I gave
up--I was spending an hour of repair time for every thirty seconds of
flight (thankfully I got an instructor for learning to fly the real
ones...).

I taught myself to play guitar and downhill ski, with varying degrees of
success, but it's hard to say if I'd have enjoyed it more or developed
farther had I taken lessons...

-----Original Message-----
From: John Callan [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, October 18, 1998 12:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Fiction vs. Non-Fiction


In a message dated 10/17/98 1:10:21 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

<<problem w/ formal education>>

Formal, informal, tolerating the snobs, finding a quiet place to think a
thought, finding someone to show your hands how to roll film from a
canister
to a developing tank, because no matter how it was explained, or how
much to
paid attention, it wasn't going to work ontil someone showed you in the
dark.

We learn a lot in the dark.  some of us create the dark so that we can
learn.

Is any of this making sense to anyone but me?