Ben Wilson

Okay, so, but anyway, my point of all that is even despite all that, even despite all the rigor and the mathematical relationships and that Bach clearly understood those and played with those, okay, setting all that aside, It is not correct to view Bach as some enlightenment expression of abstract ideas. Okay? In fact, it's closer to the opposite. Bach was a religious fanatic.

Okay, so, but anyway, my point of all that is even despite all that, even despite all the rigor and the mathematical relationships and that Bach clearly understood those and played with those, okay, setting all that aside, It is not correct to view Bach as some enlightenment expression of abstract ideas. Okay? In fact, it's closer to the opposite. Bach was a religious fanatic.

I don't necessarily mean that negatively. It's just... It's like he was an ecstatic, right? His music was an expression, I think, yeah, of religious ecstasy. So I think... The way to understand Bach is to understand him as someone who is in the throes of religious passion, right? He's like the Appalachian, what do you call those guys? Pentecostal. He's rolling on the floor, handling snakes.

I don't necessarily mean that negatively. It's just... It's like he was an ecstatic, right? His music was an expression, I think, yeah, of religious ecstasy. So I think... The way to understand Bach is to understand him as someone who is in the throes of religious passion, right? He's like the Appalachian, what do you call those guys? Pentecostal. He's rolling on the floor, handling snakes.

And this is the music of this kind of frenzied mind who is in this sort of religious ecstasy. And it is the combination of that religious ecstasy with that great mathematical and scientific rigor that Bach had that fusion is what creates the greatest music of all time. Okay, so takeaway number one.

And this is the music of this kind of frenzied mind who is in this sort of religious ecstasy. And it is the combination of that religious ecstasy with that great mathematical and scientific rigor that Bach had that fusion is what creates the greatest music of all time. Okay, so takeaway number one.

My first lesson learned is that all great leaders, whether they're generals or entrepreneurs or musicians, have some version of extreme belief. For some of them, that is religious belief, like Alexander the Great or Joan of Arc. For Napoleon, it was destiny. He believed in destiny the way that Bach believed in the Bible and Martin Luther.

My first lesson learned is that all great leaders, whether they're generals or entrepreneurs or musicians, have some version of extreme belief. For some of them, that is religious belief, like Alexander the Great or Joan of Arc. For Napoleon, it was destiny. He believed in destiny the way that Bach believed in the Bible and Martin Luther.

For entrepreneurs, they believe in innovation or in their products. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, has a great quote about why he was horrible at selling encyclopedias but great at selling Nike shoes. And he writes, driving back to Portland, I'd puzzle over my sudden success at selling. I'd been unable to sell encyclopedias and I despised it to boot.

For entrepreneurs, they believe in innovation or in their products. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, has a great quote about why he was horrible at selling encyclopedias but great at selling Nike shoes. And he writes, driving back to Portland, I'd puzzle over my sudden success at selling. I'd been unable to sell encyclopedias and I despised it to boot.

I'd been slightly better at selling mutual funds, but I'd felt dead inside. So why was selling shoes so different? Because I realized it wasn't selling. I believed in running. I believed that if people got out and ran a few miles every day, the world would be a better place. And I believed these shoes were better to run in. People sensing my belief wanted some of that belief for themselves.

I'd been slightly better at selling mutual funds, but I'd felt dead inside. So why was selling shoes so different? Because I realized it wasn't selling. I believed in running. I believed that if people got out and ran a few miles every day, the world would be a better place. And I believed these shoes were better to run in. People sensing my belief wanted some of that belief for themselves.

Belief, I decided. Belief is irresistible. I love that quote. Belief is irresistible. Irresistible. When you find something that gives you that fire in your bones, when you really believe you're unstoppable, people find that, yeah, again, irresistible. And Bach had that belief. He was very intensely religious, not necessarily in a very showy or pious way.

Belief, I decided. Belief is irresistible. I love that quote. Belief is irresistible. Irresistible. When you find something that gives you that fire in your bones, when you really believe you're unstoppable, people find that, yeah, again, irresistible. And Bach had that belief. He was very intensely religious, not necessarily in a very showy or pious way.

He didn't broadcast his religiosity other than through his music. But that was the outlet for his personal devotion.

He didn't broadcast his religiosity other than through his music. But that was the outlet for his personal devotion.

In his biography, Gardner writes, Bach's working library, estimated to have contained at least 112 different theological and homiletic works, was less like a typical church musician's and more what one might expect to find in the church of a respectably sized town, or that many a pastor in Bach's day would have been proud to have owned.

In his biography, Gardner writes, Bach's working library, estimated to have contained at least 112 different theological and homiletic works, was less like a typical church musician's and more what one might expect to find in the church of a respectably sized town, or that many a pastor in Bach's day would have been proud to have owned.

Okay, so that's how much he believes and is interested in religion and theology. He has a theological library to match most pastors, most people who do this professionally. He took his faith very seriously and believed very strongly. So that's my first takeaway. Bach had belief. Okay, so back to the story. I already told you he grows up very religious in a very musical family. He goes to school.

Okay, so that's how much he believes and is interested in religion and theology. He has a theological library to match most pastors, most people who do this professionally. He took his faith very seriously and believed very strongly. So that's my first takeaway. Bach had belief. Okay, so back to the story. I already told you he grows up very religious in a very musical family. He goes to school.