What I Learned About Investing from Carpenters PART II
Reading Notes Series
In my last post What I Learned About Investing from Carpenters PART I, I shared the first half of my learnings from 木のいのち木のこころ―天・地・人 (The Life of Trees, the Heart of Wood), one of my favorite books from last year.
Today I’m going to continue to discuss my learnings on the cultivation of palace carpenters and how they preserve and pass down ancient craftsmanship that has lasted for hundreds of years.
The Lindy effect (also known as Lindy's law) is a theorized phenomenon by which the future life expectancy of some non-perishable things, like a technology or an idea, is proportional to their current age. Thus, the Lindy effect proposes the longer a period something has survived to exist or be used in the present, the longer its remaining life expectancy.
How Traditional Architectural Craftsmanship is Passed Down
I. Only through personal struggles and hardships can one acquire genuine skills.
In the traditional apprenticeship system, masters do not teach by hand but provide examples for apprentices to figure out on their own. Apprentices should approach their work with a mindset of "trying to do it" and "how to do it better," using their own struggles to gain true mastery. This is the true meaning of education. Skills are remembered by the body, while techniques advance with the mind; they are intertwined.
In Japanese, "education" consists of "teach" and "nurture". In the world of apprenticeships, there is only "nurture," no "teach." Apprentices eat, live, and work with their masters, using their bodies to perceive all aspects of their shared existence. Sometimes apprentices may ask their masters for guidance, but more often, they must rely on their own understanding and reflection. Through this repetitive process, your hands will gradually remember all the skills. Things you think about with your brain are felt by your hands, but combining these two well is not easy. It's a process of gradually opening up, understanding, and finally mastering, almost without the master's direct guidance. Apprentices learn by imitating and approaching their masters, which takes a long time. This cannot be compared to or replicated in school education.
For example, sharpening tools is not easy. This is the first step before doing anything else. Mastering the method can take a year, or even two to three years for some. This is not a problem. It's not about being faster; it's about slowly sharpening and thinking. These are your tools, the ones you will rely on for a lifetime. If your posture is incorrect or if you apply too much force, you won't sharpen well. Some people may have habits they're not aware of, but these will become apparent when sharpening. Impatient people or those who use brute force won't sharpen well.
When you find yourself struggling, you'll wonder, "Why can't I sharpen well?" or "Where's the problem?" At this point, you must think about it. You'll observe how your senior apprentices do it because you want to sharpen as well as they do.
If you don't reflect on your own, relying on others to guide you is useless. Even if someone teaches you step by step, it won't work. You need to carefully and simply eliminate your flaws, think, seek, and find a method that suits you. Only then can it become part of your body. After enduring much hardship and effort, one day you'll suddenly leap out of your struggles because you've finally mastered the true method. What you remember through this process will never be forgotten.
In this process, the master observes the apprentice's actions closely, occasionally offering a few words, but not saying "you should do it this way." Instead, they inspire more thought and creativity of the apprentice.
Sometimes, I see them getting anxious and feel the urge to step in and help, but I restrain my impulse to rush them. Instead, I give them time to make their own judgments and quietly observe from the side. Because only by doing so can they truly grow and become strong. If you are always worried that they won't perform well and don't give them opportunities to take on responsibilities, they will never have the chance to develop and mature.
My grandfather was like this with me. At the time, you might not understand, but perhaps after much time or encountering certain situations, you'll suddenly realize, "That's what he meant." I think this process applies not just to sharpening tools but to everything.
II. To teach tailored to individual’s aptitude.
The skill of a master lies in discerning the differences among apprentices from the moment they come, much like judging wood.
As carpenter's motto says, "Use wood according to its growth direction." In our world, education is not about "teaching" and "being taught" but about the learner actively learning and the teacher helping to stimulate motivation and find methods suited to each individual.
Current school education often places children in a fixed framework, teaching them according to a single model, filling them with knowledge, and then sending them into society to compete. I don't think this is a good approach of education. People can't be exactly alike. Parents need to cultivate the keen eye to observe their children, discover their potential, and help them grow.
III. The Construction Site as the Best Classroom.
The construction site is the best classroom for traditional architecture. Without a site, you cannot experience this feeling. Therefore, without a substantial project, it's impossible to train apprentices because there is no "nurture" in a real-world setting. Carpenters need the site to solve actual problems, which differs from school education. In school, you might avoid responsibility to deal with problems, but on a construction site, you must genuinely solve them.
The sayings in our motto might be remembered, but some content is only half-understood until you encounter it in practice. Without a real site, it's impossible to truly understand. The training of palace carpenters relies on gradual accumulation, and while seniors' experiences can serve as references, relying solely on experience is not enough to build a structure. Experience is accumulated by oneself, and there are no shortcuts in the world of craftsmen.
IV. Slow is fast.
If one could provide an individual with sufficient time to develop, that would be ideal. This is really important.
Another crucial aspect is "patience." When confronted with one's own slow progress, rather than constantly thinking about how to overcome it, one should consider how to endure it.
In our environment, much of the time appears to be surplus. This slow-paced lifestyle is such that if you cannot keep up, you might as well opt out. Those who leave during their apprenticeship typically lack patience.
I do not prevent those who wish to leave; I simply say, "Oh, really?" This is also part of our workshop's practice.
Beyond Palace Carpenters
The phrase "他山之石，可以攻玉" / "It is the stone from another mountain that can polish jade" originates from the Classic of Poetry. One of the interpretations is that external viewpoints can assist in refining and sharpening one's perspectives and thoughts.
Previously, I summarized some of my learnings and thoughts on life and investing into this article "Reflections on Investing in Public Markets". Although I was unaware of the profession of palace carpenters and this book at the time, I was surprised to find that many viewpoints converged and delighted to discover new perspectives during my reading.
Their long-term perspective and patience are not only evident in their skill enhancement, wood philosophy, and future architectural considerations but also in their reverence for time.
This patience is manifest not only in the selection of wood but also in the education of apprentices—providing guidance tailored to each individual's unique characteristics and abilities. Respecting individual talents and endowments is fundamental for growth.
Their design of anti-fragile and redundant mechanisms reflects foresight into uncertainty and a pursuit of resilience.
Last but not least, they emphasize that practical experience and hands-on learning lead to true understanding, which is not merely a form of skill refinement but a profound exploration of life's essence.
The core spirit of palace carpenters, their philosophical approach to wood, and architectural wisdom embody profound principles. These principles not only provide insights into investment, but also offer many life lessons.
As always, thanks for your reading and I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the good insight. Got me interested in the book