I work on the mind-body
continuum, with an emphasis, of course, on the body side. However, neglecting the mind entirely
causes many body problems. It is
from this perspective that Jerome Bruner’s book Acts of Meaning applies to fitness.
The book explores psychology by
positing that what minds do is construct meaning. We don’t do this all alone, but socially and
culturally. The implications of
this in language, story, cognitive science, and community fascinate me.
The book was entirely worth it
just to learn about Roger Barker’s assertion of social rule: “As Barker put it, when people go into
the post office, they behave ‘post office.’” (p. 48). I also enjoyed the exploration of the distributed self, the
emergence of meaning with language in children, and the conception of
autobiography as justificatory dialogue.
In all, the book felt like
falling into a great conversation with someone with an intense intelligence and
wide-ranging interest. Much to
think about here.
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