Instructions and Instruction

It is a very common reaction for people to bristle at the idea of reading and following instructions. It is as if following the instructions somehow demonstrates inability or ignorance. The instructions for the building of a lounge chair or kitchen table are not meant for the ignorant or the incapable, they are included in the box to make the assembly efficient and complete.

From a very young age to the present I have been using tools to either take things apart or put them together. I have extensive experience in the construction industry extending from the planning phase through implementation of design. In the past, this tangental exposure to the construction industry led me to erroneous assumption that I did not need to read the instructions when faced with the task of assembling a barbecue or a bookshelf. I would just take the pieces out of the box and start putting the thing together. The result of this misguided approach was that most times I would get about halfway through the project only to be confronted with the reality that I had not put the pieces together in the correct order. This realization required me to disassemble the work I had done, consult the assembly instructions, and begin again. My flawed approach lasted for years until finally, after struggling with the assembly of so many things, I decided to read and follow the instructions from the start. Now when I purchase an item that requires assembly the first thing I do is take all the parts out of the box, lay them out on the floor, sit down, and begin at page one of the instruction manual. My knowledge concerning the use of using tools and the construction industry does not intuitively inform me on how to build the thing in the box. It tells me that this is a unique puzzle to be solved and that the solution to creating something out of all the parts is explicitly mapped out in the instructions.

Everyday millions of people engage in countless activities for simple enjoyment. The millions of people who partake in these activities will spend billions of dollars on specific clothes, shoes, equipment and memberships that are needed for participation. However, this same group of people who spend billions on trappings of an activity, spend comparatively little on instruction. This lack of instruction is the reason why very few people ever become skilled at their chosen endeavor.

My father introduced the game of golf to my brother and I at a very early age. We started out just practicing putting, then going to the driving range, and finally we ended up on a golf course. My dad taught us the few things he knew and after his limited direction we just blindly struggled through the rest of the game. As we got older my brother began to show a real interest in golf and so my dad enlisted a very accomplished golfer to give him lessons. I would tag along and I collaterally got some instruction but only in a superficial way. Under the tutelage of the coach my brother became a very good golfer while I continued to play without instruction. Fast forward twenty-five years later and one day I was hitting balls on the driving range contemplating playing a few holes. When I turned to leave the range I saw my brother sitting on the grass behind me. I told him I was going to play some holes and he jumped in the cart to ride along and watch. Right from the very first shot he asked me about my thought process concerning layout of the hole and my intended shot to navigate it. Over the course of the next three hours he told me what to think, where to aim, what club to use, and how to play every shot. It was the most amazing golf experience I have ever had. Hearing my brother’s instructions on every shot was both illuminating and humbling. The benefit of years of golf lessons had formed my brother into a golfer. Without specific instruction and left to my own devices I was just a guy aiming at the flag and hitting the ball.

It is not the end of the world if it takes you two hours to build a table when you could have done the job in one. Reading the instructions could have saved you one hour and alleviated the frustration of building the table twice but in the end, you have a table. There is nothing wrong with engaging in games for social enjoyment. Most activities are just passing distractions to entertain as people socialize with one another. But for those who wish to work efficiently or learn a set of skills associated with a sport or activity the bottom line is this: If you want to build the table correctly the first time, read the instructions. If you want to develop your talents and expertise regarding a specific passion, get some instruction.