Re: The Golden Age of Science Fiction.
Posted by:
Sawfish (IP Logged)
Date: 14 April, 2021 09:43AM
Knygatin Wrote:
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> Knygatin Wrote:
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> > Dale Nelson Wrote:
> >
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>
> > -----
> > > Knygatin Wrote:
> > >
> >
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> > > > The Time Machine is available in George
> Pal's
> > > > excellent movie, so why should I also read
> > the
> > > > book?
> > >
> > >
> > > You are kidding -- right? : )
> >
> > Half and half. I'm a bit tired, that's all.
> There
> > are so many books to choose from, ... and I
> really
> > only have time to read a select few. I want
> those
> > ones to be the very most worthwhile for me
> > personally. I realize, of course, that only a
> > small part of a well written book can go into a
> > film, so my comment above was half-hearted.
> >
>
> Another reason for my restraint toward Wells, is
> that I have always felt a dislike for sharing the
> same emotional impressions and ideas as the
> masses. I don't like to follow and be part of the
> herd (and the political correctness that comes
> with it). I am also suspicious of popular mass
> appeal, because the masses are generally simple
> minded and easily gullible. I prefer to seek out
> more obscure items, that I find intellectually
> superior, both in literature and film. There are
> exceptions, like Tolkien, E. R. Burroughs, some of
> Stephen King.
>
> And no, Sawfish, I don't use that stuff.
You know, what you just wrote could have been me, writing a self-description.
Here are a couple of nuances...
Rationally, I've come to realize that any of the various flavors of "crowd phenomena" tend to amplify the most emotional and visceral of human responses. Such response are often blindingly immediate and dizzyingly gratifying in the moment.
And I find that all people I know of are susceptible, myself, as well. This means that I, too, under the "right" conditions, could be a rabid supporter of any of a number of emotionally appealing ideas, as relayed by emotionally appealing, charismatic leaders.
So what I've developed to "save myself", I suppose, is that very rejection of herd sensibilities that you describe. By reflexively doing this I buy an interval of time, and in that interval, my rational self can usually unwind the reflexive appeal, if any, to distance myself from the subjectively extreme moment.
Me, I think that this is a *good* thing. It's probably the primary difference be tween myself and my brother, who simply takes emotional satisfaction wherever he can find it, and the hell with the predictable consequences.
Now I hasten to add that it could be easy to think that perhaps I am by nature attracted to social groups, crowds, large-scale social interactions, but the contrary seems to be true: I grew up 'way the hell in the country--rural California in the 50s--and without either playmates or a sibling until I was 6. By then, books (or firearms--talk about irony!!!) were my regular companions, which explains why I still consistently walk around with a book (or now an e-reader) at all times.
It explains why I post here, and not on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Now this leads me to the uncomfortable possibility that if I ran out of books, maybe I'd start walking around with a holstered 1911...
Hmmmm... ;^)
So I mention this in support of my strong belief that all (virtually) fairly normally adjusted and functional adults are indeed moved by crowd phenomena and other widely recognized social phenomena like charisma, human beauty, etc.--and I've developed a mechanism for that, too. The individual differences in response are simply whether the individual simply goes with the immediate flow, or resists it--and to what degree they resist it.
To my mind, those who fail to resist such social phenomena at least a little are, well, déclassé.
In fact, at this stage of my life, so certain of how this works that I'd by default think that anyone quick to deny this is basically lying, either to him/herself, or simply to me.
--Sawfish
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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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