My favorite writer said the following about trying to find the words to articulate his true self: “It’s like assembling a solid black jigsaw puzzle with all the edge pieces missing.”
The writing is so good it obscures the insight it reveals.
The insight is so good it obscures the reflection required to reach it.
The reflection is so good it obscures the courage to share it.
The writer is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and his Substack is must-read material for anyone interested in psychology.
For the unfamiliar, Abdul-Jabbar held the title of all-time leading scorer in the NBA for 39 years (until passed by LeBron James). A six-time NBA champion and three-time NCAA champion, he is undeniably in the smallest group of greatest players ever.
But here’s the thing: He’s a better writer than basketball player, which should be impossible. He writes about politics, philosophy, and the arts from a psychological perspective so healthy it might as well be called, “Dispatches from the Top of Maslow’s Pyramid.”
Most notable is his humility, as well as his comfort in exploring and articulating his own vulnerabilities and inadequacies. The fearlessness with which he is able to share his own self-exploration is inspiring, and even more, it's helpful.
What’s clear from his writing is that Abdul-Jabbar feels everything, very deeply, but it does not overwhelm him; it stimulates him. He seeks out, joyfully, the most painful and challenging questions in life........