We do not know everything. Awareness of this fact is an important first step in the intellectual domain. The psychic task which a person can and must set for himself, is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity, without panic and undue fear. [Erich Fromm] Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those…
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Value for Thursday of Week 40 in the season of Fulfillment
Living in Flow
We are not “wired” to sit still but to be active, and in flow with our best selves.
- . . . the best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi]
Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi is credited with developing the concept of flow. “Csikszentmihalyi developed the term ‘flow state’ because many of the people he interviewed described their optimal states of performance as instances when their work simply flowed out of them without much effort.” “Flow is not only a speculative theory developed in the academic field, but it has also led to the formation of principles which are applicable in working towards psychological well-being, the enhancement of performance, and the quality of relationships.” In Csikszentmihalyi’s formulation, it consists of eight traits, or characteristics:
- Complete concentration on the task “influences how we make decisions, the quality of our work and our productivity”, and stands in contrast to mind wandering;
- Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback: this trait enhances performance;
- Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
- The experience is intrinsically rewarding, which enhances motivation and thriving;
- Effortlessness and ease essentially is a feeling, or sense of things;
- There is a balance between challenge and skills, so that the individual does not “have to think about it”, even though in a less fully cognizant sense, she is thinking about it;
- Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination – this allows creative passions to run free;
- There is a feeling of control over the task.
“A good working definition of Flow is having the feeling of fusion with an on-going activity.” “As Csikszentmihalyi explained it, flow is ‘a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.’” We might say that Flow is self-actualization in the moment.
Real
True Narratives
Technical and Analytical Readings
Csikszentmihalyi’s books on flow:
- Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology (Springer, 2014).
- Applications of Flow in Human Development and Education (Springer, 2014).
- Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life (Basic Books, 1997).
- Flow - The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper & Row, 1990).
- Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention (Harper Perennial, 1996).
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
Poetry
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 (1806) (approx. 39-50’) (list of recorded performances), is an extended musical study of the movement of life, in blissful harmony. “Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, the ‘King of Concertos’, the ne plus ultra of fiddling ambition, occupies a place of such transcendent glory in the musical firmament that its eminence is seldom disputed. It has become customary to accept it as the unparalleled model of concerto construction, the keystone of the violin repertory.” Beethoven had written to the young violinist he later chose to perform the work’s premier: “Continue along the road on which you have already made such a fine and magnificent journey. Nature and art have combined to make a great artist of you . . .” “What makes Beethoven’s Concerto different from all the other violin concertos of his time is its enormously enlarged sense of space. With four symphonies behind him he now thought instinctively in the extended paragraphs of symphonic structure and was able to create a broad horizon within which his themes can be extended in leisurely fashion and adorned by graceful elaborations from the soloist.” With many works of music, particularly this concerto, comparative listening can be fascinating. Most of the violinists whose performances are linked below have performed this masterpiece many times; the links are to what are arguably their finest performances. Live performances can be seen and heard, performed by Vengerov, Hahn & Perlman. Top audio-recorded performances, with comments drawn from the July 2020 Gramophone review, are by Kreisler & Blech (charming) in 1926, Huberman & Szell (multi-colored) in 1934, Heifetz & Toscanini (on fire) in 1940, Francescatti & Ormandy (rich sound) in 1950, Oistrakh & Cluytens (unforced ebb and flow) in 1959, Schneiderhan & Jochum (shining tone) in 1962, Ferras & Karajan (elegant and luxurious) in 1967, Menuhin (poetic) in 1971, Perlman & Giulini (sweet-toned) in 1972, Grumiaux & Colin Davis (supple) in 1974, Mutter & Karajan (voluptuous) in 1980, Chase & Goodman (lyrical beauty) in 1992, Mullova & Gardiner (class, crackle & cohesion) in 2002, Vengerov & Rostropovich (silver-toned) in 2005, Kopatchinskaja & Herreweghe (an eccentric fireball of energy) in 2008, Jansen & Paavo Järvi (beautifully shaped & colored) in 2009, Faust & Abbado (wide color palettes) in 2010 ***, Gould & Sinfonietta Riga (tender, with finesse) in 2014, Ehnes & Manze (fascinating articulation) in 2016, Tetzlaff & Ticciati (feisty) in 2018, Lozakovich & Gergiev in 2020 (brilliant and nurturing), Radulović & Double Sens in 2023 (passionate and loving), and Chen & Kantorow (luminous purity) in 2026.
- Beethoven’s humanism is apparent from the first movement’s opening bars (00:45), as the orchestra announces the primary theme, which is thoroughly life-affirming in the highly resolved D major key. When the violin soloist joins the party (4:23), he pauses for a time on an extended riff on the theme, and then he and the orchestra explore the main theme and its affirmations throughout the remainder of the first movement (Allegro ma non troppo). There is no need to rush, say the players; life flows in its own time and we along with it.
- The second movement (Larghetto) offers a pause for reflection, contemplation and rest. This, too, is a part of flow. The orchestra sets the peaceful and gentle tone at the outset, and the soloist remains fully in the mood and the moment throughout.
- The third movement (Rondo {Allegro})is the most forceful and vibrant of the three. It is a full-forward affirmation of a joyful life riding the wave of whatever time and space surrounds us.
Béla Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz 119, BB 127 (1945) (approx. 25’) (list of recorded performances), “begins gently, with the piano unwinding a ruminating melody over a quiet accompaniment.” “The Third Concerto is among the composer’s most lucid and lyrical creations, its graciousness and liquid flow in contrast to the harshness and percussive clamor of its two predecessor piano concertos, dating from 1926 and 1931, both of which the composer wrote for his own performance.” “Bartók composed this piece for his wife Ditta Pásztory . . .” Top recorded performances on disc are by Sándor & Ormandy in 1946, Anda & Fricsay in 1959, Kocsis & Iván Fisher in 1987, Schiff & Iván Fisher in 1996, Grimaud & Boulez in 2004, Argerich & Bashmet in concert in 2007, Bavouzet & Noseda in 2010, Barto & Eschenbach in 2014, Aimard & Salonen 2023, and Vrána & Káli in 2025.
Six of Stephan Micus’ albums express the value of living in flow, as suggested by their more active-themed titles (in contrast to the albums expressing reverence), and as reflected in the music. If life is a set of paradoxes, and we are to be the riddle, then living in the flow of life, without demanding to understand it all first, is an important life skill. Here is a list of Micus’ albums on the theme, with links and commentary:
- “Nomad Songs” (2015) (56’): the theme is that we are not entirely bound by our bodies and the physical world, but can create our own journey. Track titles suggest this: “Everywhere, Nowhere”, “The Promise”, “The Story”, “The Spring”, “The Feast” and “The Dance”. “As a life's work, Micus' music has, over the years, been predicated on both a distinctive language and sonic universe that represent, perhaps, the most accurate definition of ‘world music.’ Nomad Songs may be simpler in concept and sparer in instrumentation than many of Micus' recent recordings, but its emphasis on the introduction of new instruments from countries around the world makes it nothing more than the continuation of that life's work . . .”
- “Bold As Light” (2010) (48’): “. . . Bold as Light's overarching tranquility can, for those engaged in the hustle and bustle of modern life, become a welcoming, fifty-minute hiatus from reality, and a chance to consider that it truly needn't be that way.”
- “On the Wing” (2006) (48’): “. . . here the voice of the man behind the means comes through his playing rather than his singing.”
- “Towards the Wind” (2002) (51’): “Being a perpetual student, Stephan Micus usually makes world music by default. He breathes patience and skill into the exotic instruments he uncovers, but certainly with respectful bending of the rules along the way. Towards the Wind follows in the same exploratory tradition -- educated, but unassuming as to the nature of what an instrument is ‘supposed to do.’ Here, the album evokes an easily digestible cross section of Middle Eastern mysticism -- swirling sand dunes, rust-colored sunsets, and sacred spaces.”
- “Athos: A Journey to the Holy Mountain” (1994) (47’), is a spiritually advanced take on journeying. “Inspired by a visit to the holy Greek mountain of Athos, his album of the same name bears traces of . . . a traveler, one whose artistry sees medium and message as one.”
- “Wings Over Water” (1982) (53’): “An expressly visual journey that skips across rice paddies, this music moves as water strider on pond, and leaves in its wake the promise of a good harvest.”
Other works:
- Corentin Boissier, Flute Sonata, Op. 23b (2018) (approx. 17’)
- Eric Ewazen, Trumpet Concerto (1990) (approx. 18’): performance by Helseth displays the flowing sound and feel of a well-played trumpet.
David Murray is a jazz saxophonist whose playing is perhaps best described as flowing: always moving forward assertively but not aggressively, constantly maintaining the interest. This may be due in part to his mastery of circular breathing, which allows him to play long phrases. However, the style is identifiable in the moment. Murray has released more than 150 albums in his own name, many of which are readily available for listening.
Albums:
- Richard Carrick, “The Flow Cycle of Strings” (2011) (51’)
- Jakob Bro, “Streams” (2016) (49’): “Slow-motion medieval melodies wrap around Morgan's lyrical bass runs, evoking the rural Scandinavian stillness found within the writings of Tarjei Vesaas and Per Petterson . . .”
- Ludovico Einaudi, “Underwater” (2022) (48’). Einaudi says: “It came naturally, more than ever before. I felt a sense of freedom to abandon myself and let the music flow differently. I didn’t have a filter between me and what came out of the piano; it felt very pure. The title Underwater is a metaphor – it is an expression of a very fluid dimension, without interference from outside.”
- Ludovico Einaudi, “Le Onde” (The Waves) (1995) (61’): “It takes as its inspiration the Virginia Woolf novel The Waves and the undulating, hypnotic melody evokes images of the rhythms and patterns of the ocean.”
- Melissa Stylianou, “No Regrets” (2014) (56’), “is all about the joy of spontaneity and making the most of the moment.”
- Frank Kimbrough, “2003-2006”, containing the albums “Lullabluebye” (2004) (55’) and “Play” (2006) (53’): “Moving from tumbling ballads to playful waltzes and enigmatic modal pieces, Kimbrough has crafted a challenging, atmospheric, and subtle album that makes the most of his sensitive group's interplay.”
- Black Flower, “Kinetic” (2025) (40’) “delves into the transformative power of rhythm and motion. Each groove, rhythm and pulse channels raw energy, acting as a disruptor that drives transformation.”
- Aly Eissa, “Eggshells” (2026) (48’): The record's centre is a title piece in two parts running thirty-eight minutes — a length that isn't a display of stamina but a condition of the music, since what it does can't be done briefly: it has to accumulate until duration stops being noticeable. Eissa plays from inside Egyptian classical and folk practice and then keeps going, improvising outward into intricacies of his own, and the effect reviewers reach for is entrancement, the listener carried rather than led. The third piece names the state directly — Sukr At-Taganni, the intoxication of song, set to the verse of a thirteenth-century Cairo poet — which is what the whole album is after: the absorption in which a player disappears into the playing and time quietly stops being counted.
Music: songs and other short pieces
- Tame Impala, “Let It Happen” (lyrics)
- Bob Marley, “Three Little Birds” (lyrics)
