Dude, this is my sweet spot and wheelhouse combined...great post. Diagnostics is a huge part of our value as technicians, and the truth is your body is a brilliant diagnostic tool. Putting one's attention into the work at hand with interest and gratitude pays massive dividends of all kinds. David Andersen On May 13, 2009, at 9:48 AM, John Dorr wrote: > Hello list, > > John Formsa wrote: (in regard to diagnosing a damper noise) > > "Hard to say exactly without being able to probe around in it. :-) > I don't consider myself to be all that great at diagnosing > problems. But I find that if I stare at it long enough, and check > everything methodically, the solution eventually appears. Don't > give up!" > > John, I'll bet you're just really modest, or short-selling > yourself. I'd bet you're really a great diagnostician because your > way is a VERY good way to get to the root of things. > > List: if you've never read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle > Maintenance", you really should AT LEAST read the part from which > the book gets its title. The author tells of a motorcycle shop > unable to fix the ROOT CAUSE of a recurring problem with his > motorcycle. Taking matters into his own hands, the author > contemplates the problem deeply, twiddles and fiddles, stares at it > long enough, and the solution appears. The author describes the > shop environment as being at fault by being distracting -- with > radios, girlie posters, chit-chat, snacks and what-all keeping the > mechanic from being able to focus solely on the job at hand. > > I think about this sometimes when I'm doing something repetitive but > demanding, like shaping hammers. Sometimes I wish I had a radio, > but that might distract me from doing this otherwise kind of > "menial" job well enough. Sometimes I find that if I just look and > touch and observe with a mind empty of preconceptions the answers to > the diagnostic riddles seem to appear on their own. > > How do others on the list feel about these things? Distraction > versus focus. The Zen of Piano Repair. > > John Dorr > Helena, MT > > > >
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