We crave instruction. We always have, however mundane or obvious. “If it is not right,” wrote Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, “do not do it.” He is still revered to this day. More recently, Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life begins with this advice: “Stand up straight with your shoulders back.” It has sold more than 10m copies.
No matter how comically banal the instruction, it seems people will give it credence if they believe it will lead to enlightenment and advancement. This was recognised by avant garde artist Yoko Ono in her 1964 book Grapefruit. It contains 200 sets of instructions, composed between 1953 and 1964. They are, in her words, incomplete works of art. The aim is to inspire readers to “finish” them – by complying, or by somehow responding to them in their mind. There’s a whole wall full of her instructions at the recently opened Ono exhibition at London’s Tate Modern.
