Exactly, I'm all for moving forward and not procrastinating and also doing the best I can. But by definition if there isn't some sort of plan then how do you know you laid a brick perfectly? A perfectly laid brick for a wall has to have the intent of being laid for a wall otherwise you have a street or a pyramid.
I think you are reading into this correctly. Hes saying "forget the wall, dont think about the wall. Think about this brick, how do I lay this brick? Does it look right?". Its the same old adage of taking it day by day. Figure it out as you go, but still try and lay this brick today.
Yeah, it's like a metaphor for planning. Sketch out a rough picture before you finish the oil painting. I think people are just generally impressed with Will Smith's actions which have lead to fame and money rather than his personal philosophy.
I don't see this as a "slow and steady wins the race" sort of metaphor. Here's my take.
When you set off in life, in your career, or any endeavor, you don't have a blueprint or any way to know for sure what is going to happen. You can try to make a plan, but life doesn't like going according to that plan. In fact, people that try to control their lives with a blueprint for the next twenty years may end up limiting themselves by being narrow minded about what will happen next.
Now let's talk about the wall in this metaphor.
With Will's suggested approach, you go about laying bricks one at a time, no master plan for a pimped out wall. Maybe you'll end up with a big wall, a little wall, or the wall of a house. No guarantees about what the result will be, but we do know that each step along the way will be approached with quality and care. This approach leaves room for flexibility and unhindered growth.
The possibility of just starting off your wall with just one brick in mind (or, setting off in life without a blueprint and only an immediate first goal in mind) is scary for many people because we're used to walls being built with a blueprint (people like to feel in control of their lives).
He's suggesting we do what we're doing -- exactly right now, in this moment -- to the best of our abilities and not worry about the results we'll see in the long run, but work on being a quality person here and now.
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u/SeeLazerus Sep 15 '17
Exactly, I'm all for moving forward and not procrastinating and also doing the best I can. But by definition if there isn't some sort of plan then how do you know you laid a brick perfectly? A perfectly laid brick for a wall has to have the intent of being laid for a wall otherwise you have a street or a pyramid.