In Plato’s time, philosophy was on the cutting edge of human knowledge. The concept of form, or ideas, or generality, or abstraction, became the building block of knowledge in many fields. To know the true properties of the generality meant knowing the specifics. Whether in science or engineering or business management, one first becomes acquainted with the general principle before applying it to situations demanding such expertise.

However, civilization has moved on. We are now living in an age of electronic communication where the human participant needs a different set of skills. In a word, what is needed is “rhythm”. He or she needs to perform in a skilled, rhythmic manner. No one can learn how to hit baseballs like Babe Ruth or sing songs like Elvis Presley by acquiring such knowledge in schools. The requirements are more elusive.

Platonic form is conceived as an object that exists objectively, independent of the thinker who grasps its abstraction. Rhythm, however, dwells in the performer himself. Rhythm is an innate skill enhanced by habit and a peculiar kind of knowledge that puts a person “in the groove” or gives that person a “mental edge” while performing. It comes within the province of sports psychologists, coaches and trainers to impart that knowledge, however imperfectly.