Nat

The philosopher and critic Isaiah Berlin wrote an essay called The Hedgehog and the Fox, in which he discussed Leo Tolstoy’s view of history. The title refers to a famous ancient Greek poem fragment, which said, “The fox knows many things; the hedgehog knows one great thing.” I was reminded of this listening to French-American jazz guitarist and educator Allain Pacowski on Open Source tonight.

Pacowski applied these terms to Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Basie knows rhythm surpassingly well (He had “rhythm down to the center of the earth” said show host Christopher Lydon). Ellington, the fox, knew lots of things musically.

I find the fox approach to the world more romantic and glamorous. I’m always envious of great athletes who are well read, or of wonderful musicians who can act. I like reading about people who are at home in New York city and the Australian outback. I have a sense that greater variety, broader accomplishment give richness to a life.

But recently, I’m coming to an instinctive conclusion that I am a hedgehog. That I will find great satisfaction in probing deeply into one thing. This is not the same as being a specialist, which I find tedious and limiting. I think the hedgehog approach or perspective means an ability to settle on something so large that it deserves profound study.

The question is “what do I seek to know to that level?” Happiness is a strong possibility. And it is endless. How can one be happy? How much happiness does a person need? What are the different kinds and sources of happiness? And so on.

If you were to know one great thing, what would it be? Or would you rather be a fox?