In 1906, William James the great pragmatist spoke in front of the American Philosophical Association and delivered an address called “The Energies of Man.” He spoke of the surprising capability of humans to draw on reserves of physical and mental energies to perform amazing feats. One famous quote from this address is:
Mental activity shows the phenomenon as well as physical, and in exceptional cases we may find, beyond the very extremity of fatigue distress, amounts of ease and power that we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength habitually not taxed at all, because habitually we never push through the obstruction, never pass those early critical points.
This quotation is loaded with a lot of concepts and has many layers to it. I can only imagine how many hours William James agonized over his precise wording. Note that he did not say fatigue and stress, he said fatigue stress. He was an amazing writer and speaker. Just the very concept of removing the and in that phrase make the concept of fatigue stress so much more powerful. My Danish great grandmother reportedly had her own words to describe this same concept. She combined the concept of being in the “the shit” with “tired” into one phrase that she repeated often – “I am shitired.”
You will also notice that James refers to our sources of strength not being habitually taxed. That is the key. To push beyond our limits once is not enough, it is the concept of habitually pushing through obstructions that allows us to surpass the early critical points of growth. How many people spend their entire lives, their entire careers not really knowing that there is tremendous greatness beyond what they used to believe was their point of failure?
He also refers to this concept that it is beyond the limits of extremity that we find ease and power. I know EXACTLY what he means by this. Running has taught me this. I have habitually pushed myself for well over a year now. I have gone beyond this extremity and I have now discovered this ease and power. What once was completely impossible for me is now easy, and I am able to achieve the impossible with precision and with power in my stride. Of course I am still weak in comparison to real runners, but in comparison to Old Guy, I have witnesses this reserve of mental and physical energy that I never knew that I had.
Finally, you will note that James indicates that this concept applies to both the mental and the physical. Meaning you can push yourself mentally in the same manner. You can accomplish amazing feats with your mind but you have to find ways to habitually tax yourself and push through the obstruction. Which leads me to the whole point of this mornings note. Can you identify your mental obstruction? What is holding you back? What wall is in your way?
Well, I can summarize the concept articulated by William James with the immortal words from the poet Robert Frost – the best way out is always through. Identify that obstruction in your way and put your head down, and go right through it. Repeat.
Guy Reams (459)
365 Alumni
54 Days Left to first marathon
