QBD #10: Knowledge is Sensuous

"embrace paradox as a portal" with Minna Salami

The ability to embrace paradox without trying to get rid of the distinctions might be the skill of the future, but it’s one I’m already finding helpful in the here and now. One idea of it is to understand knowledge as in the body and the world, not only in our heads. We can live into knowledge with a sensuous rhythm that uplifts our days.

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

As I’ve written in the Way & Lifeworld posts, this practice is a new patterning of thought and so many are finding new ways into it. One of the books I love to reference relative to this topic is Sensuous Knowledge by Minna Salami. This is the Quick and Deep summary of ideas from our recent conversation for L&P.

It’s all about holding paradox, embracing contradictions, understanding multiple perspectives, and exploring the vastness of knowledge beyond traditional confines—It’s also about embracing our unique paths and believing in them.

💓 Paradoxes are Generative

During the conversation, Minna and I discuss how many of us often perceive paradox as something negative rather than generative.

To Minna, life is inherently paradoxical, filled with numerous realities that coexist and overlap. She uses the metaphor of a mountain viewed from different angles by two explorers to illustrate this point, a story that is itself a pattern and parable across cultures and disciplines. The true understanding of our ‘metaphorical mountains’ can only be achieved by appreciating them from as many sides as we can handle, even as we believe in (and stay on) our unique path. This mindset challenges the binary, dualistic way of thinking that often shapes our perception and frees us to live authentically even as we connect with paths other than our own.