Just yesterday I fell upon this dialog as part of the Dead Poet’s Society and this morning, I see that Apple has used the very same in The perfect Robin Williams’ voice to showcase this very thought.
We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love – these are what we stay alive for.
To quote from Whitman,
“O me, O life of the questions of these recurring. Of the endless trains of the faithless. Of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer: that you are here. That life exists and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
“That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
What will your verse be?
If we didn’t know better, we’d allow our minds to think that Apple came up with this monolog, coz it seems accurate. The vision of the company, and the fundamental premise it markets itself on. That they are stylish, elegant, beautiful and oh, they also make computers that means all of that and more.
Like in the words of Simon Sinek in this Ted talk on how great leaders inspire us as a human race (a bigger part of the smaller organizations if you will) – he touches upon the “why” of it all. Not the “what”, and the “how” but the “why”
Simon Sinek: Great Leaders Inspire Action
Such a fabulous question.
WHY?
Can irritate the ones who don’t have an answer, or are sub-consciously avoiding making the answer a reality, but the answer to the question that will set most of us free. The truth always sets us free.
