Dear orange_soda,
Another analogy came to mind: Music.
There are many, many ways to make music, perhaps an infinite number of
ways. But to become a musician, I have to start somewhere. So, I may try
the piano first. Or, I may try the violin. Some music teachers may
advise me to devote my time and energy on one instrument at a time,
perhaps a few years of piano first to get a good grounding in music, and
then move on to the violin. (Indeed, even in the study of a given
instrument, there are many, many different schools and methodologies!)
Limitations on time, energy, talent, and interest may require that I
really do have to concentrate on one instrument at a time, and a
particular method of learning that instrument. If I'm very resourceful, I
may learn more than one instrument/method at a time. But that doesn't
invalidate all the other instruments/methods. In fact, someone else may
choose to learn the violin first. Or the tuba. Or drums. Nevertheless,
we are all learning to appreciate and create one thing: Music.
And it would be unenlightened to suggest that the piano is a "better"
route to learning music than the violin, etc. There's no sense in
debating "good," "better," and "best," regarding the value of particular
musical instruments (and in a broader context, musical genres), because
it's a personal matter of taste, preference, environment, and talent.
As with Qi. As with Life.
Each instrument can create awesome music on its own. And when many
instruments are orchestrated in harmony, we can create music which each
instrument alone cannot.
Such is all things in life ... a whole of parts, and parts of a whole.
Best,
HF
