mental / musical /visual research
Sometimes I wish
I was really stupid
and ignorant
and dense
Life in this world
would be so much
easier
Thinking simple,
lame thoughts
one day after
another
Virtue (so they say)
is its own reward
and intelligence is
its own punishment
Do not imagine
that intelligence
makes you happy
It might make others happy
(indirectly)
but never YOU.
I am always looking for metaphors for Facebook. When I joined some years ago I was quite happy about the whole thing, fascinated with this system of contacting friend’s friend’s friends.
That was our honey-moon. Thing are less rosy now.
Here is a current metaphor for FB-discussions about sensitive subjects. Or maybe I should say discussing with sensitive, touchy subjects.
THE MINEFIELD
I haven’t been a soldier, haven’t been in a war. But I DO know what it’s like to walk on a minefield. Talk about gender, migrants, SD or homeopathy on Facebook and…boom. Boooomm! Booomm!!!
FACEBOMB!
Another Facebook metaphor points to the avant-gardist John Cage. In his classical book “Silence” he wrote “I have nothing to say and I am saying it.”
No comment.
Third metaphor: THE MOUSE TRAP
Imagine that you are mouse. No, not a computer mouse, I mean the small rodent that runs around in the attic at night.
Now imagine that people who don’t like mice have set a trap for you. With yummy Swiss CHEESE! You enjoy the cheese but pay for it dearly, with your life.
Discussions (especially “heated” discussions) on Facebook can be in a similar way traps, energy and time-traps. You come away angry and totally exhausted and ask yourself “Why, oh why did I nibble that cheese…?”
Maybe you “won” the discussion, but you totally lost the fight energy-wise.
Which reminds me of the robust old proverb from former, less politically correct and more courageous times: “If you wrestle with a turd you will be beshit whether you fall over or under.”
