Applying the Ethos of the Craftsman to Our Everyday Lives

QuoteAcross cultures and time, the archetype of the craftsman has represented man's ability to create and has been the mark of mature manhood. He is homo faber – man the creator. Instead of passively consuming and letting things happen to him, the craftsman fashions the world to his liking and proactively shapes and influences it. Ancient philosophers in both the West and the East have used the craftsman as a symbol of he who contributes to his community and as an ensign of humility, self-reliance, and calm industry.

When we think of the archetypal craftsman, images of a bearded man clad in a leather apron and rolled-up sleeves, toiling away in his workshop producing beautiful and useful items comes to mind. What's interesting is that the ancient Greeks had a much more inclusive idea of the craftsman than our modern conception. Besides masons, potters, and carpenters, the ancient Greeks included jobs now considered "knowledge professions" like doctors, legislators, and administrators under the craftsman label. Even the work of a father was considered a craft of sorts that required the same care and attention to detail as that of the carpenter. Indeed, the ancient Greeks believed that the values and ethos of craftsmanship were things all should seek to live by. In so doing, a man could achieve arete, or excellence, and thus experience eudaimonia, or a flourishing life.

I think we all could gain by reading this article from  The Art of Manliness http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/07/03/measure-twice-cut-once-applying-the-ethos-of-the-craftsman-to-our-everyday-lives/

QuoteDo Things Well for the Sake of Doing Them Well

QuotePlan (But Not Too Much)
With any project, the craftsman creates twice: first mentally and then physically. Before he sets chisel to stone or hammer to wood, the craftsman has already created his work in his mind. In other words, he plans how to bring out the object from the rough materials and tools before him.

On the other hand, while the craftsman understands the importance of planning, he isn't over-fastidious about it. Instead of detailed blueprints, the master craftsman prefers the rough sketch because he knows that unforeseen problems (or opportunities) can arise once he's actually working. The rough sketch, philosopher Richard Sennett argues in The Craftsman, provides a "working procedure for preventing premature closure." It gives structure, but leaves room for improvisation and change if needed.

Apropos Tool Talk-

QuoteAt its core, a craftsman's workshop is an honor group. It's home to a small, intimate group of men, where a code of honor — in this case, the craftsmanship ethic — guides and shapes the behavior of those within the workshop's walls. As we've discussed in our post on reviving manly honor, traditional honor inspires and compels men to be the very best. The tight-knit community that honor requires serves as a check on narcissism and reminds a man that he's not the center of the universe. More importantly, honor gives meaning to a man's life.

Mimic the craftsman by finding your metaphorical workshop. Be intentional about forming life-long brotherhoods. Find your platoon of men that will hold you accountable to a code of honor that demands excellence and honesty in all you do.

Whether you spend your days knee-deep in sawdust, paperwork, or diapers, by adopting and living the traditional values of the craftsman you'll find more personal fulfillment and meaning, enrich your family and community, and hammer, mold, and sculpt an indelible legacy as a man.

Well put.

When our son became a paraplegic & we had to make structural changes & additions to the house, a group volunteered to help assemble the combination ramp & deck structure leading from the back door out into the yard & back down to the driveway.
Someone asked to see the drawings of how it was to go together.  I honestly replied there were no drawings.
I had a rough sketch noting the locations of all the footings (dug by hand to "below frost line") and the framing was all CCA treated dimension lumber. 
I had already set all the footings & concrete foundation columns corresponding to where the corner & intermediate posts would go.  From the 10' x 7' existing "deck" outside the back door the ramp ran out 19.5' at a drop of one inch per foot of run.  The "turnaround" area is a 10' x 16' deck, with a second ramp of just short of 12'  long headed back toward the house, and ending up level with the driveway.
The deck & ramp surfaces are 5/4" x 6" CCA treated deck boards.   Most of the fasteners are bolts or deck screws, although we did use a few galvanized nails.
Not fancy, but it has served well for over 12 years & with "waterseal" refinish every 2nd or 3rd year it should last as long as we need it.   If the deck boards get too weathered I can always unscrew them & turn them over. 

Good stuff.  I don't think these concepts are limited to men; in the modern world, women can get into the shop, and men can sew, and all can learn to do the work with pride and competence.

Being Cheyenne, "probably Caddo" (plus Danish, Irish & English), I pay a lot of attention to the wisdom of North American "Indians."  (Columbus or one of his passengers actually described the inhabitants in the Carribean as living "en dios," or, roughly, living under the eye/oversight of the Creator — not inhabitants of India.)  Some years back an "Indian" elder was asked by a young "white" what's the difference between a "whiteman" and an "Indian?"  The elder replied that the "Indian" sat back and observed the incrediblly complex web of life and sought to find a place on it in which he'd (or she'd) create the least disturbance, while the "whiteman" tended to view the same incredibly complex web of life and sought to change it according to his desires.
     That said, Papaw, the part about "...the craftsman fashions the world to his liking..." jumped out at me.  (I know: picky, picky, picky!   *Bear Man grins friendishly*)
     I do agree whole-heartedly with the rest of your beginning posts — and perhaps especially with Bill Houghton's addition.
     In my own life, I admit that I seek "perfection" in my self and my "productions," and also admit that I've never yet achieved it.  I do believe it makes for a valuable goal, however, and I ain't'a gonna give it up quite yet.  Now I'm going to go read the article you suggested — and thanks.  Cheers, everyone.

I worked in a glass shop for a while and my boss Hank used to say "Measure twice, cut once" - occasionally he would even have to remind himself!

As flawed as any of my projects turn out, imagine if I did not strive for perfection.  They would end up unusable or very short lived.  Most would go straight to the dump.

I'll save that article and read it later today.
Al

The book that encouraged me to get back to mechanics as a living.
Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford - A philosopher/mechanic's wise (and sometimes funny) look at the challenges and pleasures of working with one's hands.

While not the greatest book ever written it does challenge the reader to think.

Great article!!! Words to live by...