Categorizations and Limitations

I read a recent post about categorization, or more specifically, how it limits you, or confines you within spheres of thinking. The idea was that martial artists can fall into the trap of ‘categorizing’ themselves. I can relate, I currently am in that trap too.

For example, let’s take boxing as an example. A mediocre boxer will say he only boxes and he never intends to learn throws, grappling and groundwork. Within the boxing art itself, he will say he’s an infighter, with an arsenal of offensive fistwork. Is this not restricting in itself? Nevermind outboxing. Who cares about counters. Just rough-punch! This is limiting one’s boxing skills. Well, so the argument goes. One always needs a focus in practicality, but still, concepts can do a lot of damage if clung to desperately.

Often spheres of thinking overlap. The sphere of metaphysics, for example, often overlaps with logic and language. But I’m sure most philosophy professors will always stake their careers on their ’specialty’. For example, they might focus only on causality, or time travel, or some other metaphysical field, as what defines their careers. Yet no philosopher is ignorant of logic, and no philosopher is poorly-versed in language. Here, they also limit themselves to their pedagogical practice, and dare not venture beyond their sphere of influence.

Practically, there are good reasons for doing this. But to relate in this way interpersonally and intrapersonally is, in my opinion, not beneficial. Your can probably think of some reasons yourself, but if every single thing was the same about you, for all your life, are you not a dead bore? Don’t people get interested when you tell them you’ve tried a new hobby, or quit your old job, or visited another country?

That is why even though many things in life give us our identity, you should not be attached to them. At least, not as attached as so many people are to things that really don’t matter too much.

For me, I take this to heart. I have many objectives and goals, most of which I still haven’t realized, but in the end I have only one ultimate calling. No matter where I go, what I do, or how I end up, there is only one true quality to me - and that is as a Mahayana Buddhist disciple: Raymond Lam!