Robert Pirsig

Overview

Robert M. Pirsig was the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) and its sequel Lila (1991). The first book is an account of a motorcycle trip with his son that doubles as a philosophical investigation into what Pirsig calls Quality — the thing that makes a bolt well-torqued, a motorcycle well-tuned, and a life well-lived, all by the same measure.^[1]

For this wiki, Pirsig is an unmissable ancestor: he made the explicit case that working with your hands, working with code, and working on yourself are not separate activities. They share a governing principle, and that principle is Quality.

Key Ideas

• Quality is real and pre-rational. You can tell the difference between good work and bad work before you can articulate why. The articulation comes later, if at all.
• The classical / romantic split is false. The mechanic who understands the engine and the poet who loves the ride are both engaged with the same motorcycle. Treating them as opposites is a cultural failure.
• Stuckness is information. When a screw won't come out, you haven't failed. You've found the actual problem. Respect it.
• Care is the bridge. You can only do good work on something you actually care about. Caring is not a luxury; it is the pre-condition.
• Gumption is a resource. It can be depleted by frustration, and replenished by patience. Manage it.

Connection to the Builder Thesis

Pirsig is the closest thing this wiki has to a stated-philosophy source. Zen's thesis — that Quality is the common principle behind good craft in any medium — is also the thesis of Building Across Mediums, without the motorcycle. Aggressive Craftsmanship is Pirsig's Quality, thirty years later, restated for people who build software and houses and businesses simultaneously.

Notable Quote

"The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself." — Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

"You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It's easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally." — ibid.

References