Helping others: Easier than helping yourself?

[J. Z. Guest]

Sometimes, I have an issue I'm having a hard time getting my head around. I'll post here for advice. Lo and behold! Folks here seem to come up with solutions that I feel should have been obvious to me. So simple & often elegant.

Other times, someone posts here with their own issue, and to many of us, it seems obvious. The poster is usually happy with the response.

Is it that a different point of view is a huge help, or that our solutions have mostly been considered & discarded already? Or is it that we know of a lot of the options, but just want the value of others' experience?

[Sam Yerardi]

I think we need interaction. Whether I'm asking a question or trying to help someone, it's the interaction I like. And I think we need to validate ourselves in woodworking sometimes. Woodworking is one of those fields where every woodworker thinks the other woodworker is always wrong and his method is better. But out of that comes learning, at least for me. I know from teaching engineering classes that the best way to find out how much you DON'T know about something is to try to teach it to someone. Same here. I like to read other's ideas and opinions. I try to learn something new every day.

[David DeCristoforo]

All of the above. Over the years, I have learned amazing things from people that I would have never imagined could teach me anything. Woodworking is mostly done in isolation. It's not like golf or tennis or any other "social activity" where you go out with a bunch of your pals. Many brains are always better than one, regardless of how brilliant that one may be. The great beauty of forums like this is that they provide a way for people to share, support each other and to generally inter-act in a way that would not otherwise be possible. As to overlooking the obvious... well what is obvious to one may be completely obscured to another. Remove ego from the equation and it's like magic.... the world opens up in the most amazing way. And it's always satisfying to be able to offer someone else a solution. We often spend a lot of time "re-inventing the wheel" simply because we are not inclined to ask for help or are unaware that the help exists.

YM

[Peter Quadarella]

It was hard to answer this because depending on the question any or all of the answers could match. Sometimes it just helps to talk things out; it straightens out the logical progression of thoughts in one's mind.

[Rick Malloy]

There are probably as many ways to look at solving a problem as there are people looking at that problem. Everyone has a different thought process, so when a new issue arises they look at it in different ways. That thought process is why someone can post a question and someone else think that the answer is quite obvious. Or at least this is my opinion.

When you start looking at creative issues, the best thing I know of is to look at other peoples opinions. I am not a great woodworking artist, but when I design something I always look at what others are doing for ideas. My final design is always different, but I find that by looking at others ideas I see a different perspective which gets me thinking about the solution differently. My wife seems to like what I make so I guess this works good for me. :)

[Lee Koepke]

One thing comes to mind.

Whenever I 'get stuck' or theres something I cant seem to wrap my arms around, I remember that there is VERY LITTLE that hasnt already been done in the art of woodworking. The issue then is finding a way to reveal that information to me.

This venue has been exceptional in that case. Most people here offer their experiences, without judgement ... Then its up to the individual how he/she utilizes the result.

[Peter Quinn]

Ditto all of the above..Interaction with others with similar interests and diverse experience is very rewarding to me, helps to have people removed from the specific task when solving a problem. the opportunity to brainstorm with and learn from a group with such vast collective knowledge is priceless.

In the past week I have used Yoshikuni's 'fine sand in the glue joint' and Glen Bradly's 'adjustable dado jig' to solve problems that had me stumped. Both simple solutions I may never have seen from inside my box.

Often I post a reply and find myself going back to the post repeatedly to see the solutions others offer, generally I learn much from that experience.

Gloats are fun posts to read as well, as a hardcore tool junkie I absorb joy vicariously through the purchases of others.

[Joe Chritz]

This reminds me of a story.

Once upon a time I was a dog handler, primarily bloodhounds for trailing people with volunteer groups. I had instructed several seminars on the subject over the years. At one of those a question was raised as to the effectiveness of trailing someone to a building then using the hound to search the building for the person. Not a standard function of a hound. So we set up a quick trail into a decent size building at an old boy scout camp we were at. I broke out the old hound and ran to the building with about 15 people in tow. Once we got inside someone asked what Boss (the dog) would do when he found the guy. I answered that I had no idea since I had never done it before. Later this became a topic since several people couldn't believe that I would do something I had never done before in front of a whole group of people as the "instructor".

My answer was, I learn as much from working on the problem presented with others as I do myself. Sometimes an obvious answer is elusive for any number of reasons. Only by discussing the options and not being afraid to be wrong can you really truly ever learn anything. If you aren't willing to listen to other options you hold yourself back, sometimes amazingly so.

The moral is you can and should learn from everyone you meet. Even if it is what not to do.

Wisdom comes from experience, which comes from bad judgment, or good judgment in some cases. I have found I have learn exponentially more by opening my eyes and ears than my mouth.

Joe