An Open Letter To The Transcendent Order
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:00 am
I am Abigail Weir, a planewalker. With this open letter, I would like to express my interest in the Transcendent Order, as well as to pose a question. This is as much an attempt to learn more about Ciphers as it is to gauge my suitability to the order.
Language as social action
When I first heard of Ciphers, I was tempted to view you as creatures of instinct - beings who had eradicated all thought in favor of constant, instinctual action. It occurred to me, however, that I know of very few sentients who do not rely on language. Indeed, most of us are very dependent on language in our daily functions, including thinking. How, then, is language an action?
To begin with, it is important to know that I do not believe in fixed meanings. Think about the color red. What was the first association? Was it a red slaad? The Red Knight? Lunitari? Blood? I believe words and concepts do not mean the same thing to us. There is no one true definition of red. Many beings cannot even see the color as various humanoids experience it. The context is important, as well. You see a sentient clad in red robes. Do you think of the Red Wizards of Thay or perhaps the less notorious scholars from Krynn? As you may have gathered from the above example, where you come from and what you already know has a big role in what meanings you assign to words. Similarly, the situation you are in has an effect.
When we use a word, we often seek an effect. Having an understanding of how your recipients interpret your words helps you to choose the right ones, so that you can deliver your message accurately and hopefully with the desired effect. When you say a Red Wizard, my thoughts return to Krynn. When you say a Red Wizard to someone hailing from Faerûn, however, you could also be saying an evil wizard. The social action inherent to language lies in choosing your words carefully. If you fail to do that, you are still taking an action, albeit an uninformed one. Those who understand language can often use it to its fullest effect - just a as a master of the quarterstaff can turn the humble and accessible weapon into something spectacular.
The importance of reflection
If Ciphers are not creatures to instinct, then can we also consider preparation an action? For what else is reflection than preparation for the situation where your knowledge of the self is tested. As I suggested above, I think that language and thought are connected. This is by no means an original thought. Similar ideas have been expressed by scholars across the multiverse. Do you assign words to concepts that you think about? What is good? Kindness? What kind of kindness are you thinking about? Could you conceive other definitions for kindness? Knowing how you view the multiverse and yourself can give you a lot of power. In other words, reflecting on the way you use language can help you to better understand yourself. A better understanding of the self can lend to smoother actions in future.
Thought as an action
When thinking about reflection, I believe most people have in their mind an image of a monk - presumably a clean-shaven man - kneeling in quiet meditation. When I first thought of a Cipher, I saw a physically active woman who had abandoned rational thought in favor of instinct. I have since come to understand, however, that Ciphers seek to combine thought and action. Indeed just as I now understand that a Cipher is not a being of pure, instinctual response, it also seems to me that a Cipher does not seek to become a being of pure thought either.
How does one achieve thought uninhibited by action and action uninterrupted by thought at the same time, then? To me, one answer could lie in reflection, practice and knowledge. Once you know what you want to do, you can apply yourself uninterrupted. Similarly, when you are comfortable with an action, you do not need to think about how to complete it. When you know enough about yourself and have mastered enough actions, few things can interrupt you. You are able to improvise, to alter your actions seemingly on the fly based on a cycle of interpretation and implementation.
The act of speaking
One way to look at language is to separate language into two distinct parts: language as a pure concept and language as the product that you see in ordinary speech, with all its errors and misunderstanding arising from various interpretations and physical conditions. If I had to choose, I believe Ciphers would exist in the now - in the realm of imperfect language, where meanings are constantly under negotiation. In the act of speaking, the importance of reflection could manifest itself in knowing how you use words and what meanings you assign to social constructs. The importance of knowledge could mean a broad base of topic knowledge and conversation strategies or a readiness to learn more. The importance of practice would manifest in becoming comfortable with producing words the way they come to you and using the strategies you have knowledge of in a variety of situations. Once you bring all three together, I cannot imagine many things that could interrupt your flow.
How does one perfect the act of speaking? I believe the answer is simple: by speaking. How does one combine thought and action? By getting as comfortable with both as possible. What if you reflected on your performance while running and adjusted your step, or considered the effect of your words while talking and altered your subsequent actions accordingly? Would that not imply the sort of flexibility one needs to achieve the oneness of thought and action? Being able to alter your course seemingly based on instinct, because the process of reflection and the action are the two components that your performance consist of. It is impossible to alter an action if you are not aware of your options. It is impossible to apply your options if you are not comfortable with the action.
To reiterate
I suggest that thought is an instinct, or an action for a sentient mind to take. Instead of an action without a thought, one takes an action that is a thought.
The question
I would like to know what an experienced Cipher thinks. How do you feel when you read my notions? Are Ciphers simply flexible and knowledgeable thinkers, or is there something about unifying thought and action I should know? Indeed, how is a Cipher different from an experienced person with broad content knowledge, mental flexibility and learning skills? Anyone can improvise, but does the quality of improvisation matter to you?
Language as social action
When I first heard of Ciphers, I was tempted to view you as creatures of instinct - beings who had eradicated all thought in favor of constant, instinctual action. It occurred to me, however, that I know of very few sentients who do not rely on language. Indeed, most of us are very dependent on language in our daily functions, including thinking. How, then, is language an action?
To begin with, it is important to know that I do not believe in fixed meanings. Think about the color red. What was the first association? Was it a red slaad? The Red Knight? Lunitari? Blood? I believe words and concepts do not mean the same thing to us. There is no one true definition of red. Many beings cannot even see the color as various humanoids experience it. The context is important, as well. You see a sentient clad in red robes. Do you think of the Red Wizards of Thay or perhaps the less notorious scholars from Krynn? As you may have gathered from the above example, where you come from and what you already know has a big role in what meanings you assign to words. Similarly, the situation you are in has an effect.
When we use a word, we often seek an effect. Having an understanding of how your recipients interpret your words helps you to choose the right ones, so that you can deliver your message accurately and hopefully with the desired effect. When you say a Red Wizard, my thoughts return to Krynn. When you say a Red Wizard to someone hailing from Faerûn, however, you could also be saying an evil wizard. The social action inherent to language lies in choosing your words carefully. If you fail to do that, you are still taking an action, albeit an uninformed one. Those who understand language can often use it to its fullest effect - just a as a master of the quarterstaff can turn the humble and accessible weapon into something spectacular.
The importance of reflection
If Ciphers are not creatures to instinct, then can we also consider preparation an action? For what else is reflection than preparation for the situation where your knowledge of the self is tested. As I suggested above, I think that language and thought are connected. This is by no means an original thought. Similar ideas have been expressed by scholars across the multiverse. Do you assign words to concepts that you think about? What is good? Kindness? What kind of kindness are you thinking about? Could you conceive other definitions for kindness? Knowing how you view the multiverse and yourself can give you a lot of power. In other words, reflecting on the way you use language can help you to better understand yourself. A better understanding of the self can lend to smoother actions in future.
Thought as an action
When thinking about reflection, I believe most people have in their mind an image of a monk - presumably a clean-shaven man - kneeling in quiet meditation. When I first thought of a Cipher, I saw a physically active woman who had abandoned rational thought in favor of instinct. I have since come to understand, however, that Ciphers seek to combine thought and action. Indeed just as I now understand that a Cipher is not a being of pure, instinctual response, it also seems to me that a Cipher does not seek to become a being of pure thought either.
How does one achieve thought uninhibited by action and action uninterrupted by thought at the same time, then? To me, one answer could lie in reflection, practice and knowledge. Once you know what you want to do, you can apply yourself uninterrupted. Similarly, when you are comfortable with an action, you do not need to think about how to complete it. When you know enough about yourself and have mastered enough actions, few things can interrupt you. You are able to improvise, to alter your actions seemingly on the fly based on a cycle of interpretation and implementation.
The act of speaking
One way to look at language is to separate language into two distinct parts: language as a pure concept and language as the product that you see in ordinary speech, with all its errors and misunderstanding arising from various interpretations and physical conditions. If I had to choose, I believe Ciphers would exist in the now - in the realm of imperfect language, where meanings are constantly under negotiation. In the act of speaking, the importance of reflection could manifest itself in knowing how you use words and what meanings you assign to social constructs. The importance of knowledge could mean a broad base of topic knowledge and conversation strategies or a readiness to learn more. The importance of practice would manifest in becoming comfortable with producing words the way they come to you and using the strategies you have knowledge of in a variety of situations. Once you bring all three together, I cannot imagine many things that could interrupt your flow.
How does one perfect the act of speaking? I believe the answer is simple: by speaking. How does one combine thought and action? By getting as comfortable with both as possible. What if you reflected on your performance while running and adjusted your step, or considered the effect of your words while talking and altered your subsequent actions accordingly? Would that not imply the sort of flexibility one needs to achieve the oneness of thought and action? Being able to alter your course seemingly based on instinct, because the process of reflection and the action are the two components that your performance consist of. It is impossible to alter an action if you are not aware of your options. It is impossible to apply your options if you are not comfortable with the action.
To reiterate
I suggest that thought is an instinct, or an action for a sentient mind to take. Instead of an action without a thought, one takes an action that is a thought.
The question
I would like to know what an experienced Cipher thinks. How do you feel when you read my notions? Are Ciphers simply flexible and knowledgeable thinkers, or is there something about unifying thought and action I should know? Indeed, how is a Cipher different from an experienced person with broad content knowledge, mental flexibility and learning skills? Anyone can improvise, but does the quality of improvisation matter to you?