The quote “To arrive at abstraction, it is always necessary to begin with a concrete reality” implies that abstraction, or the process of simplifying complex realities into simpler forms, must start from a solid, tangible understanding of the reality itself. It suggests that genuine abstraction cannot be achieved by merely imagining or theorizing. Instead, it requires a deep comprehension of the concrete reality from which the abstraction is derived.
In simpler terms, to understand and create something complex or abstract, you need to start with something simple and concrete. For instance, in art, an abstract painting might not look like anything recognizable, but the artist would have started with a concrete idea or image in mind before distorting it into an abstract form.
In the context of today’s world, this quote can be applied to numerous fields such as technology, business, or even personal development. For instance, in technology, to create an abstract model of a system (like a software architecture), one must first understand the concrete details of how the system works.
In business, before developing an abstract strategy, it’s crucial to understand the concrete realities of the market, the competition, and the company’s strengths and weaknesses.
In personal development, before we can set abstract goals for ourselves like “be more confident” or “be happier,” we need to understand our concrete realities – our strengths, weaknesses, fears, desires, etc. Only then can we create a meaningful plan to achieve these goals.
In essence, the quote suggests that abstraction – whether in art, technology, business, or personal development – is not about escaping reality but about understanding it so thoroughly that we can simplify, distill, and manipulate it in our minds. It’s a process of diving deep into the concrete before soaring high into the abstract.
