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"That is correct. It takes sustained intense experience, not mere trauma," said Monk.
"Does everyone who has sustained intense experience learn how to think?" asked Director.
"No."
"Then what makes a person learn to think, if such experience is a necessary but not a sufficient condition? What's the key?"
"Self-love."
"What?" Student looked disappointed. "I think we're off all in the wrong direction here. For one, thought doesn't have to be intense. Emotion is intense. Thought is not emotion."
"What if you're thinking about a hard problem?"
"The problem is probably hard because your emotions are involved."
"What about a hard problem in philosophy?"
"I don't see how that's any different than any other hard problem. The emotion involved might be frustrated ambition, just as it might be with a physics problem, or any other sort of problem."
"You really don't think someone can think hard about a problem just because he wants to solve it, just because he has the desire, without any other emotion involved?"
"Nope. Other emotions are always involved."
"You never saw someone struggle with a puzzle for which no prize is offered? Think of all the people who do crossword puzzles. Think of those torture cubes, whatever they're called. How many people have spent hours on those? What emotion is driving them?"
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Nick Pappas, pappasnick.typepad.com
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