Pep 101

A certain course is missing from our curricula: PEP 101--the study of potentialities (or latent actualities) to be exploited (or turned to practical account), energies to be expended and powers to be exercised as they are inherent in things, and especially in 2nd person encounters. Such a course would ideally teach us to discern these possibilities in our various spheres of life, show us how they operate and what modifies them, to the end that we can improve our practical mastery. It's not that we don't know about or use these things, but that we don't teach them comprehensively across multiple realms.

Grand idea, but before getting grandiose, terms need to be defined more clearly and illustrative examples given. And hadn't they better be down to earth and common? So how about if we think of potentiality as what can change, of energy as what can do work, of power as what can make things happen? Simple, crude characterizations, but I'm feeling my way forward here. And if it's hard to think forward, how about finding instances in the recent past?

A quick list of expressions of potentiality: my workplace (new boss), my classroom (new way to teach question formation), my street (new surface just the other day), my garden (the passing of the gladioli), the calendar (Labor Day already?).  Changes can be, of course, cyclical or repetitive, but some represent unexpected novelties: arisings or arrivings or deviatings that in some way augment, spoil, or join things.

Of expressions of energy: my mind that thinks, my school that teaches, my car, the solar cells on my roof that power my appliances, the constant flow of news and ideas on the Internet that stimulates discussion, the food that nourishes me, etc.

Of expressions of power: the traffic laws (making it safe to cross the street), the motor on my refrigerator (making things cool), a hammer (for breaking up ginger snaps to make my pear dessert), my promise to myself (keeping me writing this blog), etc.

This exercise convinces me (did I need convincing?) that these terms are not abstract but in fact easy to discover on the same scale where I have 2nd person encounters. Indeed, what makes such encounters vivid, potent, urgent or suspenseful are just those potentialities, energies or powers of the participants.

As I round the 1st semester corner of this blog, and look forward to 365, teaching my eyes and equipping my lexicon for talking better about 2nd person encounters could be useful. Let's see.