made finding feel different from learning ㅤ ㅤas if the body knew the way before sound arrived ㅤ ㅤone asked for attention the other asked for obedience ㅤ ㅤthe body noticed before the language learned ㅤ ㅤ
You've crafted a piece here that speaks pretty directly to Merleau-Ponty and phenomenology. Like me, I can tell you distrust language. People like us believe that speech is often presented after emotional impact (delight or damage) has been processed. What I'm most impressed with here is that you've kept it broad enough to apply to trauma, love, art, faith, music, or movement.
The inclusion of "finding" in your opening distinction applies directly to the unpredictability we all live through — accidental encounters, intuition, and the subsequent grace. And learning implies structure, instruction, and sequence. These two ideas are implicitly correlated. & you follow that connection up with:
"as if the body/knew the way/before sound arrived"
Here, “sound” stands in for language, culture, and (maybe to a certain extent) naming? Our body often knows before it articulates. This line becomes a pre-logocentric space where knowledge is somatic, pre-verbal, and ancestral. You've asserted that instinct is the primary.
And then, the "attention" vs. "obedience" pairing. Very nice. This feels like it's pushing learning toward a space that's potentially coercive. I don't believe you're rejecting the concept of learning, but instead seeking to expose the cost when it overrides instinct. Love the philosophical nature of all of this.
Rhetorically, you use lineation beautifully with short lines and slow perception. It feels like one is noticing or learning based on the form. You use white space beautifully, parallelism with nuance asymmetry, and a very nice selection of verbs.
This is a piece that comes from a place of experience. Where living has already happened, & language is attempting to catch up. Really freaking nice.
Sincere thanks for sitting with the piece and for the care in your reading.
You’ve articulated threads I sensed but didn’t name, especially the space and the tension between attention and obedience. The sense that the body knows before language arrives, and that instinct precedes instruction, is exactly the seam I was working along.
I’m truly grateful you took the time to engage so deepl.
This lands so cleanly. You’re naming that pre-verbal intelligence, the body as first scripture. Finding as recognition, learning as instruction. One bows to what’s already known; the other trains us to listen later. That last turn says it all: the body noticed long before language tried to take credit.
Mark, your words elegantly capture the subtle difference between learning and truly noticing. The way you highlight the body’s intuition before language speaks is both profound and graceful. This piece reminds us that understanding often begins in quiet awareness, not in words.
Thank God I didn’t miss this. I thought today might not be one of your writing days, but I still went to your page, hoping you might have written something. And there it was. You praised me...what more could I ask for? Thank you so very much.
“as if the body / knew the way” hit me right in the ribs... Like yeah, the body’s always early, and the words are just… catching up, late and trying to act casual.
Hi Mark!
You've crafted a piece here that speaks pretty directly to Merleau-Ponty and phenomenology. Like me, I can tell you distrust language. People like us believe that speech is often presented after emotional impact (delight or damage) has been processed. What I'm most impressed with here is that you've kept it broad enough to apply to trauma, love, art, faith, music, or movement.
The inclusion of "finding" in your opening distinction applies directly to the unpredictability we all live through — accidental encounters, intuition, and the subsequent grace. And learning implies structure, instruction, and sequence. These two ideas are implicitly correlated. & you follow that connection up with:
"as if the body/knew the way/before sound arrived"
Here, “sound” stands in for language, culture, and (maybe to a certain extent) naming? Our body often knows before it articulates. This line becomes a pre-logocentric space where knowledge is somatic, pre-verbal, and ancestral. You've asserted that instinct is the primary.
And then, the "attention" vs. "obedience" pairing. Very nice. This feels like it's pushing learning toward a space that's potentially coercive. I don't believe you're rejecting the concept of learning, but instead seeking to expose the cost when it overrides instinct. Love the philosophical nature of all of this.
Rhetorically, you use lineation beautifully with short lines and slow perception. It feels like one is noticing or learning based on the form. You use white space beautifully, parallelism with nuance asymmetry, and a very nice selection of verbs.
This is a piece that comes from a place of experience. Where living has already happened, & language is attempting to catch up. Really freaking nice.
JC,
Sincere thanks for sitting with the piece and for the care in your reading.
You’ve articulated threads I sensed but didn’t name, especially the space and the tension between attention and obedience. The sense that the body knows before language arrives, and that instinct precedes instruction, is exactly the seam I was working along.
I’m truly grateful you took the time to engage so deepl.
I’ll be holding onto this reading!
This lands so cleanly. You’re naming that pre-verbal intelligence, the body as first scripture. Finding as recognition, learning as instruction. One bows to what’s already known; the other trains us to listen later. That last turn says it all: the body noticed long before language tried to take credit.
Thank you Dipti for such a close reading.
You've caught the idea perfectly.
We're taught language and learning come before everything, but what if the body knows first.
Exactly. Language likes to claim first rights, but it arrives late.
The body registers before it explains, before permission, before grammar. What it knows isn’t learned; it’s remembered.
Perfectly said, and apologies for the lateness in responding!
No worries
The body knows what the mind is trying to forget.
Perfectly said Jeanne 😊
Food for my mind
Thanks🙏🏾
Thank you Terod 😊
Some words do not knock before entering.
They drift in like quiet rain, landing softly on places we did not realize were thirsty.
Beautiful Belinda 💛
Mark, your words elegantly capture the subtle difference between learning and truly noticing. The way you highlight the body’s intuition before language speaks is both profound and graceful. This piece reminds us that understanding often begins in quiet awareness, not in words.
Thank you Dawnithic.
You’ve captured the essence of the piece in your reflection, that finding meaning proceeds language and can be found it the body.
I’m so pleased your saw the depth in the piece, as you always do 💛
Thank God I didn’t miss this. I thought today might not be one of your writing days, but I still went to your page, hoping you might have written something. And there it was. You praised me...what more could I ask for? Thank you so very much.
You’re so kind Dawnithic,
This appeared last night when I was writing something else, so took me by surprise as much as you.
💛 🫶 💛
So nice of you, Mark❤. I’m really sorry I can’t come to the chat...Substack is quite terrible. When I do come there, we have such good conversations.
Yep!
💛💙❤
Beautiful 🫶
Thank you Veronica 💛
“as if the body / knew the way” hit me right in the ribs... Like yeah, the body’s always early, and the words are just… catching up, late and trying to act casual.
Thank you Asuka 😊
Somehow, words always are just that little bit too late. Especially when the body jumps in and steals the show!