By giving your service a name, you gain the right to possess it. The thought I’ve heard is too precious. It’s not about legal rights, of course. In the metaphysical sense, to give a name is to extract something from nothing. The inappropriateness of known categories to describe one’s experience is at first uncomfortable, then painful, and eventually maddening. Why?
A human being orients himself in the world with the help of meaning, even if there is no such “fancy” word in his vocabulary. The fact is that any environment quickly becomes deadly if the understandable, read predictable world turns into a delirium. This is why, for example, in rituals like ayahuasca, there is bound to be a “coordinator." He does not take the psychedelic and makes sure that in an altered state people do not harm others or themselves. By the way, it was a great relief for me when, over time, I began to understand what was happening to me during the most difficult ceremonies. The terms, categories, and analogies I found helped put this unimaginable, horrible, wonderful, wild experience in my head. Logos brought order to chaos and transformed absurdity into value.
I use this insight today when my clients, founders of companies, find themselves knocked down by an uppercut of fate. When uncertainty covers the mind like an impenetrable blizzard, it is dangerous to remain motionless, sinking into sleep because of the risk of freezing. The first thing to do is to name this particular chaos very precisely. Surprisingly, by giving a name, it is as if one is appropriating a formidable phenomenon. The gain of meaning changes the balance of power. Instead of a confused prey, the predator is met by an eager hunter.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
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