Lessons From The Past: Faulkner’s Genius, Pilot Episodes & Training Volume
This Week:
What fiction I’ve been reading
A novel that I started earlier this month was Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner. I’ve read two other novels by Faulkner along with several short stories so I knew when I started reading this I was reading the work of a genius.
Faulkner is well regarded as one of the great literary writers of all time and so far, he has lived up to that reputation each time I’ve read something by him. Absalom, Absalom is a tricky book to get into at first. A little confusing and the wordplay requires a few re-reads to understand what’s happening but the more you read the novel, the easier it gets as each chapter revolves around the same core scenes/moments but we get a different perspective and additional detail on said scenes/moments which provides more depth to the story.
One thing is for certain, you need a dictionary by your side when you read a Faulkner story. So, at the very least you’ll be introduced to some new words.
What non-fiction I’ve been reading
I’ve been continuing on my Untethered Soul’s journey. Previously I discussed the concepts of self-observation and since then, Michael Singer introduced the concept of awareness and how it relates to our consciousness.
“The key is that consciousness has the ability to concentrate on different things. The subject, consciousness, has the ability to selectively focus awareness on specific objects.”
Awareness is key to focusing your consciousness or simply observing your consciousness. The more aware we are, the better. Awareness allows us to keep a distance between our self and the inner voice.
What I’m watching
I just started watching the Netflix show Beef. It stars Steven Yuen, Ali Wong and David Choe. The show is produced by A24 which continues to put out high-quality work whether it be in movie format or television shows.
One thing I love about TV shows is the pilot episode aka the first episode. I’m always curious from a storytelling perspective how they will introduce the characters, show their wants and needs, and what’s holding them back from achieving their needs.
Nailing the hook is one of the most challenging aspects of a story. You don’t want to give too much and overwhelm the viewer/reader but also, you need to provide enough to keep them engaged.
Beef did that masterfully as from the very first scene, you basically understand the main character thoroughly and how he simply wants to feel in control of his life but is utterly frustrated by how everything has turned out.
The flow and pace of the show has been great, as well. The episodes seem to fly by.
A training insight
Volume allotment.
In terms of exercising, volume is regarded as the number of weekly sets and reps you do. There is a limit to how much volume you can do in a week because you have to balance that along with intensity, frequency and recovery.
However, where some people go wrong is how they divide their overall volume. I believe that some core movements and exercises will provide you with the majority of your musculature and strength. But, what I have observed is that people will allot the same amount of volume to something secondary and tertiary as to the prime mover.
For example, when it comes to back development, someone might do the same number of sets and reps as a single arm pulldown or face pulls as a barbell row or t-bar row. I view this as a misplacement of your weekly volume.
The bulk of your volume should go to the prime movers especially if you’re in the beginner and intermediate stages. As you become more advanced, it makes more sense to focus on the smaller details as you have already maximized the foundational pieces.
Originally published at http://learnedlivingorg.wordpress.com on March 19, 2024.