Part IV

“Quality lay not only outside any academic discipline, it lay outside the grasp of the methods of the entire Church of Reason” (344). Finally we get to some truth about Quality. The definition of Quality and its determining factors are outside of what we can rationally reason without sounding crazy. Quality again has presented itself as a very slippery slope, a rabbit hole of sorts and I dislike it. I have never been someone to reside in the gray area, and that is where I feel capital Q Quality resides. Yes, it has general parameters but they are minimally defined and an argument can be pretty much made on anything in favor of its Quality.

I really struggle to see the logic behind Pirsig’s “personal feeling that this is how any further improvement of the world will be done: by individuals making Quality decisions and that’s all” (367). Again Quality is determined by the individual making the assessment or in this case decision. So what Pirsig values as a Quality decision may not be seen by others as a Quality choice. After reading this book and being forced to focus on Quality, I feel like the Quality our author is talking about is achieved by making choices you would be proud of. Quality is something you put forward everyday, like a stamp of excellency; you are the only one that is able to out limits on your level of Quality. 

Part III

Part III

I think Phaedrus’s reaction to Quality (214) is how I and many of my classmates are feeling about it. Quality, not quality but capital Q Quality; but what does that really mean? What creates Quality, because I see it as a very personal interpretation? We can’t place one, blanket definition on Quality because everyone has his or her own determining factors of Quality.

Pirsig claims that Phaedrus said in one of his papers that, “ These estheticians think their subject is some king of peppermint bonbon they’re entitled to smack their fat lips on; something to be devoured; something to be intellectually knifed, forked and spooned up bit by bit with appropriate delicate remarks and I’m ready to throw up.”

I like this for two reasons; firstly this is one of the first times that I really enjoyed Pirsig’s writing. I liked the deliberate description that took place. Even though it’s just a sentence made up of words, it jumps out to me and I appreciate when a writer does that.  As a business student and a student in general I see a lot of writing that does not speak to me or essentially draw me into the text. So when a writer does that I get super excited because I know I’m about to enjoy reading.

I also wanted to point out this passage because when I first read it I had this image of a young man, Phaedrus, really writing this about Quality to an ancient scholar of that time. I imagined Phaedrus to be a sharp boy, brimming with witty comments always ready to challenge his teachers even when he knew it would get him in trouble. From my perception of Phaedrus this was a prefect comment, scorning those damn peppermint bonbons.

I was kind of caught by surprise when Pirsig flat out just says he wanted to go into some day to day information. But what really got me is when he says “and I’m not quite sure how to go about this” (260). I have been recently thinking about the different styles and approaches there are to writing, especially because my new job has me writing as someone who is well versed in genetic research. I could never say “and I’m not quite sure how to go about this,” it just wouldn’t be acceptable. Firstly I could never actually use I in my writing because it is scientific/ research driven. Additionally I would lose credibility. Here I feel like there is something to be said for Pirsig’s honest attempt at going about conveying this information, where as if I said that, I would instantly be discredited. In Pirsig’s example he could almost be called wise, because he is admitting to his lack of ability. It reminds me very much of Socrates and his belief that we in fact know little to nothing.

Back to capital Q Quality. I was frustrated by the notion that Pirsig gives, “ it’s our habit of assigning Quality to subject or objects that give this impression” (297). However we still do not have a clear or in my opinion complete definition of Quality. And if we go back to my above rant on Quality the point comes up again that we give Quality to subject or objects based on personal perception of Quality, which I am beginning to interpret and interchange with value. However, value seems to be more easily defined, with many individuals finding the same properties valuable.  

Part II

This section caught my eye, and I didn’t really get it on the first read, but after re-reading I really like it: “Precision instruments are designed to achieve an idea, dimensional precision, whose perfection is impossible.” And in fact I like the whole paragraph, because you really cant understand the meaning with out the context and specifically the final two sentences, “He thinks I’m working on parts. I’m working on concepts.”(100) I can’t really tell you why I like this so much, but I do. It makes me think of life as just a bunch of parts that make up the whole. Without a certain part the bike doesn’t run correctly, and in essence life doesn’t run as smoothly either.

The other part that stands out is Pirsig’s point that “perfection is impossible.” You can try all you want but sometimes, most of the time, we don’t achieve perfection. I think it is wise to remember this going in, however it does not mean that one should not shoot for perfection.

When Pirsig’s talks about “high country” (127) I had to go back just to make sure he wasn’t still talking about Montana. The high country that he is talking about reminds me of when I lived in the wilderness for three months. There is a sense of thinness in the air and stretching in the mind that occurs from deep within our thoughts. I feel like in the late 60’s early 70’s people did not live by their technology as they do now, so it would have been easier, especially in the middle of no-where Montana to find Pirsig’s “high country.” I kind of find it contradictory that Pirsig has shut down Chris’s questions but then talks about finding high country and says, “and to the enormous magnitude of questions asked, and to the answers proposed to these questions.” I get the sense that high country is achieved by asking questions to learn about the world around you, however Pirsig does a really poor job at encouraging the same from his son. I feel like with Pirsig’s background and education he would have been open to Chris wanting to learn, how else are you supposed to learn if you don’t ask questions? I’m also picking up a bit of a sophist aspect to high country. 

-       I Googled Pirsig and found out that his father served as the law school dean at U. of Minnesota. He attended U. of Minnesota for biochemistry and later, 1958, became a creative writing professor at MSU

            The paragraph beginning with, “Academic standards were demolished,” (147) really surprised me. I had never known that that had even happened, or thought that it could happen. I understand that MSU and U of M are not private schools, however I didn’t think that educational institutes could be bullied like this. In one respect I really like the idea of everyone being admitted to college, however not having a high school diploma and getting in seems a little unreasonable. I’m a little lost for the time, but I don’t think we have moved very far from the beginning of the motorcycle trip. So, I guess I’m wondering if this was a national movement or something that was just going on in Montana because I have never heard of this.

We keep reverting to this idea that the minimum is good enough, that people will be astounded if you simply just do your job. I hate saying and I hate having it confirmed as I start to get into the work world. This quote, in part, sums up what I am beginning to learn, “most people would have forgotten about Quality at this point, or just left it hanging suspended because they were getting nowhere and had other things to do.” (183) You rarely seem people up effort in or take pride in their work, that’s why Quality is so often lost.

The Zen lifestyle

“I was determined not to say a word, and when my wife urged me to go over and help him I shook my head. I told her that until he had a real need he was just going to resent help.”

Boy, is he right and I feel like that knowledge can only be learned from working in a position where you deal with people.  It is human nature to reject help, to want to be able to do it for yourself. And yes, I have resented the help I have gotten because I need to struggle. As humans I believe we need to work at something, fail and readjust, and possibly fail again. But until we fail a few times and we are at our last wits end we don’t want help. On the flip side I can see Pirsig’s wife’s desire to help, you see a friend in need and the natural reaction is to want to help. However you can’t, it interrupts the individuals learning cycle. On a side note if you are always being helped you wont be able to develop the confidence that is needed to function in society; you will always be looking for someone to do it for you.

Something that I noticed, but did not bother me, was the abrupt or dismissive attitude toward Pirsig’s son. Pirsig seems to expect a lot from Chris, however Chris seems to still be a child. I feel like Pirsig’s parenting skills are very typical of the time. Zen was published in 1974, and seems to have taken place in the early 60s; back when men were believed to not cry or show emotion. And Pirsig feels that his son should not cry, but the large issue may involve Pirsig not knowing how to deal with his son’s emotions. Pirsig most likely did not have a father who accepted crying and now he will not accept it from Chris. I was not bothered by Pirsig’s harshness because I was raised with traditional parents. I was told to grow up fast, or more had to because I was placed in situations where youth and juvenile behavior was not acceptable. Yes, some people would say my parents were mean, however I believe it prepared me for adulthood.

Pirsig emphasizes a male development, almost a coming of age story. Yes, it was written in the early 70s, however I feel like women are not treated equally or given equal importance in the story. At no point did anyone ask Sylvia if she knew how to fix the bike. And Sylvia can do more than cook and ride on the back of a bike, but she is never given a real voice. Which is odd because Pirsig seems to have really wanted Sylvia to come and that she sees the same things as he does.

           As I read further I am interested to see if Sylvia’s role changes or if she is ever given a real voice.  Women may have gotten the right to vote and become respected members of the community, however it does not mean the population will actually follow these ideas.