Lex Fridman on Siddatha by Herman Hesse “I can think, I can wait, I can fast.”

Lex Fridman interview with Narendra Modi dropped today and was able to finish it! I started it on one of my computer monitors while I was working on other things. I told Prerna that it was published and streaming on YouTube so she decided to watch on the TV so I watched it with her.  

Narendra Modi is likely the most philosophical and introspective politician in the world.  Certainly of the G20 nations.  Lex was really good at asking questions that seemed to get to the heart of Modi's nature and beliefs.  He is the master of the long form interview/conversation.  Even Modi seemed genuinely surprised with the kinds of questions which clearly were not of the typical variety for journalists.

In the epilogue of the episode Lex told about how he developed an interest in the India through his reading of Herman Hesse's novel Sidartha (he pronounces it Hess-say).  That is copied below.

(03:14:28) Another key lesson from the novel that was especially formative to me as a young man was that one should not blindly follow others or learn about the world exclusively through books. But rather forge your own path and thrust yourself into the world where the lessons of life can only be learned by experiencing them directly.

(03:14:49) And every experience, both positive and negative, mistakes, suffering and even seemingly wasted time is all an essential part of growth. To this point, Hesse draws a distinction between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge can be taught by others. Wisdom can only be gathered through experiencing the full mess of life yourself.

(03:15:13) In other words, the path to understanding isn’t through rejection of the world, but through complete immersion in it. Those are my early steps in seeing the world through the lens of Eastern philosophy. But many of Hesse’s books had an impact on me. I would recommend to read Demian, when you are younger, Steppenwolf, when you are older, Siddhartha throughout your life, especially in moments of crisis, and The Glass Bead Game if you want to take on Hesse’s magnum opus, that rigorously explores the ways the human mind and human civilization can engage in the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and meaning.

(03:15:55) But Siddhartha is the only one I’ve returned to more than twice. In my own life, when faced with a difficult situation, I often return to the moment in the book when Siddhartha is asked what skills he possesses, and his answer is simply, “I can think, I can wait, I can fast.”

(03:16:15) Let me elaborate. Indeed, for the first part, “I can think.” As Marcus Aurelius said, “The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts.” For the second part, “I can wait.” Patience and waiting often is indeed the optimal decision when facing a problem. Time does bring clarity and depth of understanding.

(03:16:39) For the third part, “I can fast.” When needed, being able to live and flourish with less is a prerequisite of being free when the mind, the body, and society all are trying to put you in cages.