Update 41

A Thought

It seems to me that authentic reaction to things is very important to having a good life and being a good friend, or even a good dinner guest. What I mean is that, when a person genuinely and openly expresses their thoughts and feelings about some topic, it naturally tends to enliven everyone else present, as well as enlivening the subject matter itself. Whether it's a movie, a piece of music, or an idea, expressing your spontaneous reaction to it lets everyone else in on what's going on inside you, and that means it enlarges their perspective on the subject at hand, because they literally have more than one perspective on it. 

The danger and fear, of course, is that you'll be rejected when you open up like that; that other people won't want to look from another point of view, or they'll turn on you because they think you're wrong. On a certain level, I think we need to weigh the cost and the benefits and tough it out, realizing that it's better to live exuberantly and be attacked than to clamp down on ourselves and become zombified. Frankly, being wrong is possible, and if someone genuinely reacts to your genuine reaction by thinking that you're wrong, you have to be able to take what you dish out. If both of you can continue the conversation after that point, one of you might even end of right about something new. On the other hand, people aren't always fair, and a little look around the internet can show you what that lack of fairness can result in.

Progress Report

Well, I missed a whole week. Things were pretty busy last Monday, it was my birthday last Wednesday. And, now, I'm sick! Such is life.

The book still sits there, waiting to be molded into a masterpiece of deep insight that will enrich the lives of the multitude! All I need is some kind of time machine or pocket dimension or something so I can work on it. Or, barring that, I'll just get well and get off my butt.

© 2015 John Hiner III