Functional Beauty of Poetry / Catharsis of Narrative: Intellectual Value of Abstraction and Problem Solving
Recently, I have written several articles considering the nature and structure of poetry and narrative in relation to intellect and intelligence.
As a next step, when I considered the differences between poetry and narrative, I noticed similarities with the relationship between equations and proofs in mathematics, or architecture and requirements specifications in system development.
Here, I will delve into the differences between poetry and narrative while highlighting the similarities across these different fields, and unravel the existence of intellectual stimuli, such as functional beauty and catharsis.
Furthermore, I will point out the importance of extracting functional beauty and creating catharsis in knowledge work, and touch on tips and know-how for doing it well.
Extraction of Functional Beauty
Poetry is the beauty expressed in short sentences. Equations, while simple, radiate beauty when they have a wide range of applications and deep meanings. Abstract architecture in system or software design also feels beautiful when it is simple yet has a wide range of applications.
Beauty is polysemic, but the beauty observed in these cases can be referred to as functional beauty. It is the aggregation of many meanings and uses in a simple structure, a common feature found in the worlds of poetry, equations, and architecture. Ultimately, the utility condensed into a simplified form is the beauty we perceive, the so-called functional beauty.
Poetry, equations, and architecture are all derived through the extraction of this functional beauty.
You thoroughly observe the target, extract the minimum conditions, maintain what needs to be retained to avoid losing functionality, and rigorously eliminate the unnecessary to extract the essential.
Then, the essence of the originally targeted object is highlighted, and we perceive its beauty. Even for the same object, the perspective from which it is observed can change what is extracted. Sharp perspectives may lead to broadly applicable extractions, which seem to radiate beauty even more strongly.
Creation of Catharsis
On the other hand, a narrative has a structure where something uncertain is presented, and then it becomes certain. The distinction between poetry and narrative is not the length of the text, but the nature of the transition from uncertainty to certainty in the narrative. And there lies the sensation of being liberated from the emotions brought about by ambiguous and unstable situations, in other words, catharsis. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, we feel catharsis in the transition from uncertainty to certainty.
Proofs in mathematics also have this property. At the initial stage of a proof, whether a proposition can be proven is uncertain. If it were known in advance, there would be no need for a proof. And finally, by successfully proving it, the uncertain becomes certain. This process is the same as in a narrative, and it brings about a sense of catharsis.
Similarly, in the world of systems and software, there is an equivalent process: requirements analysis.
At the start of a project, before conducting requirements analysis, it is uncertain what kind of system or software will be created and whether it will take shape properly. Therefore, at the beginning of the project, the process of requirements analysis is carried out. It is the task of listening to and organizing the requirements demanded of the system.
Once the requirements are organized, functions that satisfy those requirements are considered and summarized as requirement specifications. Based on this, the scope of system realization and a rough basic design, the architecture, are determined, and the development period and costs are estimated. Once these are done, the requirements analysis is temporarily complete.
At that point, the image of the system becomes clear, and the project’s budget and schedule are also known. In other words, what was initially uncertain becomes certain. Here too, there is a sense of catharsis.
Functional beauty was about extraction. In contrast, the creation of narratives, proofs, and requirements analysis involves the worker’s originality. Even with the same problem and the same perspective, the process includes the worker’s individuality and spontaneous ideas that occur during the work. In this sense, it can be called creative work.
Therefore, I would like to express narratives, proofs, and requirements analysis as the creation of catharsis.
Intellectual Stimulus
In the world of literature, there is a relationship between poetry with functional beauty and narratives with catharsis. In mathematics, there are equations with functional beauty and proofs with catharsis. And in the world of system development, there is architecture with functional beauty and requirements analysis with catharsis.
Both functional beauty and catharsis seem somewhat different from intuitive and emotional beauty and inspiration. Deep understanding is required, and in this sense, it can be said to be intellectual stimulation, as opposed to emotional stimulation.
Some enthusiastic people earnestly create poetry, equations, and architecture, perhaps to savor the intellectual stimulus of functional beauty. Additionally, there may also be a desire to share the obtained intellectual stimulation with many others.
On the other hand, while the pursuit of beautiful poetry, equations, and architecture is somewhat specialized, narratives, proofs, and requirements analysis are more general. Even so, the intellectual work involved is highly advanced. And what attracts people to this work is the intellectual stimulus of catharsis.
It is fortunate that humans possess the trait to seek and feel intellectual stimulation from functional beauty and catharsis. These intellectual stimuli seem to be the driving force behind the evolution and development of literature, mathematics, science and technology, and industrial technology.
Recording and Reasoning
In addition to poems and stories, documents also include records of events. In the world of mathematics, or science, it is common to quantify measurement data and record it. Systems and software also sometimes record their operating processes in logs.
Thus, across separate fields like documents, numerical values, and system operations, there exists a common intellectual activity called ‘recording’.
For poems and stories, there may be instances where impressions and critiques are documented. In mathematics, there may be instances where formulas are applied to actual problems to obtain computational results. In systems and software, specific application programs are created on top of the architecture.
These activities expand upon the underlying elements of functional beauty and catharsis. This seems to be an intellectual activity that could be called ‘reasoning’.
The promised intellectual stimuli, such as functional beauty and catharsis, do not seem to exist in recording and reasoning. Instead, these activities seem to be more general intellectual activities than the extraction of functional beauty and the creation of catharsis.
Generalization of Intellectual Activity Classification
Recording, reasoning, creation, and extraction. The difficulty of intellectual activities probably increases in this order. Of course, the difficulty varies depending on the subject and the depth of the outcome. Although it cannot be said definitively, this is likely the trend.
Also, the difficulty of understanding and applying what is gained from these intellectual activities will probably follow this order. And, the higher the difficulty, the greater the intellectual stimulation is likely to be.
So far, we have seen that in the worlds of literature, mathematics, and system development, there are activities of recording, reasoning, creation, and extraction. There may be some parts that are forcibly applied, and in some fields, there may be intellectual activities equivalent to recording, reasoning, creation, and extraction that do not correspond to the examples mentioned here.
In various other intellectual activity fields, it seems that the same classification of intellectual activities, such as recording, reasoning, creation, and extraction, can be made. In other words, recording, reasoning, creation, and extraction can be considered as a general classification for intellectual activities.
And in each intellectual activity field, there are intellectual stimuli such as functional beauty and catharsis, which are believed to be the driving forces behind the evolution and development of that field.
Value of Exploring Common Characteristics
If we think more deeply about the extraction of functional beauty and the creation of catharsis, we might be able to grasp clues for performing those intellectual activities well.
Especially if we can discover tips and know-how for extraction and creation that are not dependent on the field, it may lead to the development of methodologies and training methods that can be widely applied to various intellectual fields.
If we can successfully derive such things, there will be immeasurable value in them. To put it grandiosely, it could be the starting point for improving the level of intellectual activities of humanity as a whole.
Abstraction and Problem Solving
There are likely various tips and know-how, but here I will mention two points from past articles that are relevant to this matter.
The first one is about the extraction of functional beauty. A crucial keyword in the extraction of functional beauty is abstraction. The process of extracting functional beauty by stripping away non-essential parts is essentially the process of abstracting the subject.
As a reference link at the end of this article, I will provide a link to a previous article I wrote about abstraction. (Reference Article 1)
When organizing complex information, I explain a method involving both analytical abstraction and evaluative abstraction, progressing concurrently. This technique is based on my experience in system development, and I’ve generalized it to be applicable beyond systems.
The second point is about the creation of catharsis. A significant keyword in the creation of catharsis is problem-solving. If we consider uncertainties as problems, problem-solving corresponds to the process of either solidifying them or finding a pathway to their resolution.
In the reference link at the end (Reference Article 2), I’ll provide a link to an article about problem-solving. This is also based on my experience in system development but is summarized as a generalized approach.
In Conclusion
In this article, I’ve explored the differences between poetry and narrative, highlighting the presence of intellectual stimuli in the form of functional beauty and catharsis. I’ve also demonstrated that functional beauty and catharsis exist in mathematics and system development, organizing these concepts as general principles applicable to other intellectual domains.
I’ve long believed that the skills of abstraction and problem-solving possessed by system architects, who are responsible for designing the fundamental architecture of systems, are valuable not only in the realm of computer systems but across various fields.
From the perspective of the qualities inherent in poetry and narrative, this article has allowed me to recognize the connection between abstraction and problem-solving. While it might appear slightly self-serving, I have grown increasingly confident in the potential of the skills possessed by system architects.
Reference
Reference Article 1
Reference Article 2
