Good mornthing!

[blissmorgan]

 Y’ever watch a movie where something tumultuous happens, something utterly catastrophic, and there is an uproar of people jostling and yelling and making plans that are at odds with one another, and nobody’s quite listening entirely to each other long enough to really pull it together, and one quiet man (it’s always a man, isn’t it?) just kind of detaches himself to the group, strolling to the side or a quieter room or whatever, and there begins development of what ultimately becomes The Plan That Saves Them All? On the one hand, I quite enjoy that narrative trope, for what it is. Taking a quiet moment is a valuable tool, and outside-the-box-thinking has led to countless momentous developments in human history.  Yet that trope is rooted in and encourages our very American sense of American exceptionalism, the lone wolf man, the superhero, the superior guy who is going to change everything by dint of not being like the other girls guys.

Some very fine things can be achieved in solitude but humans are, overall, social creatures. A thinker alone is well and good, but never forget the second part of the trope - someone notices our quiet man has gone. Then they chase him down, or he returns to the group, and plans get implemented together.

Saturday is an early day for me, and me alone in the house; it gives me a lot of time to contemplate solitude. Today has had given me the sharp reminder of the fact that if I do not shift my Saturday work prep - or, at least, the shower part of it - to Friday night, then I am looking at a winter of miserable Saturday mornings. I stepped out of the house with wet hair into the 40-degree pre-dawn light, and my head was thoroughly chilled by the time I got to the car.

Later today I am going to a meatspace friend’s birthday party. Her favorite singer, Susan Werner, is going to be performing, and I amvery much looking forward to it. Werner is talented and funny, like a somewhat more political Christine Lavin. Perhaps I will dig up some choice song/video links tonight. 

For now, I go earn the monies, and enjoy this delicious maple walnut coffee. I am very much into trying out fall coffee flavors this year. 

Hello, Blisstopia. <3

Comments

[johncomic]

The doctrine of exceptionalism [and it IS a doctrine in the purest sense] has gone thru waves over the centuries, proving itself to be both an uplifting and a toxic belief. But somehow it's the toxic aspects which linger more vividly in historic memory.

[blissmorgan]

Why do the toxic aspects linger more vividly? (This question is rhetorical, and bears more consideration that I can necessarily give to it right now.)

((Perhaps the answer is in the fact that even in this discussion I am skipping over the uplifting part and focussing on the question of the toxic))

[johncomic]

I suspect that in part it is because the toxic aspects have been tipping the scale over the last few decades, therefore fresher in memory.

[blissmorgan]

....that sounds about right, actually.

This is me

[rokenford]

Commenting from my new DW account

Morning, Bliss.

Re: This is me

[blissmorgan]

It is you, and I am so happy to see you here! Morning. <3

[thin_ice]

Good morning, Bliss!

I've been noticing that "lone wolf" trope more often of late. It's an empowering idea on the face of it, but you're right - it encourages us to think that one person can solve big problems on his own, and to forget that we are social animals. And when we apply this hero mentality to our own lives, it can become demoralizing and demotivating, because we are used to thinking in terms of our individual ability to effect change - but all too often, the problems we face are not things that can be solved on personal level, but need to be addressed systemically. It's not that we can't do anything; it's that we can't do that much, relatively speaking, on our own; and if we get caught up in the immensity of the problem and the insignificance of our efforts, it becomes overwhelming.

We are meant to work together.

[blissmorgan]

Good morning, Ice!

"Demoralizing and demotivating" VERY yes! On its surface it seems to promote the idea that we can do anything on our own if we are somehow special enough, but because humaning doesn't work that way then ultimately we fail, and end up feeling (and often being) worse off because of it. And even in the case of solitary work, just because one can accomplish something alone doesn't make that the best way.

Hullo 10-13

[darklilli]

The Lone Wolf is a trope that needs to die. American exceptionalism? Bwahaha! I would rather see people working together to solve a problem, and have at least a few of the people be women!

Anywho - I know this is not a popular thought. But its my thought. And there it is.

Hullo Bliss.

Re: Hullo 10-13

[blissmorgan]

I like and agree with that thought. Someone alone might maybe have interesting ideas, but implementation is pretty much never a solitary business.

Hullo, Lils.

[shredded_paper]

Maple walnut coffee? Yes please. I don't understand the whole pumpkin spice thing but that sounds really good.

[blissmorgan]

The pumpkin spice thing makes a whole lot of sense when you think of it as a cinnamon-nutmeg-alspice thing, I think. It's a delicious and very autumnal flavor combination, and goes well with milk and sugar and caffeination.

Maple walnut is awesome and I heartily recommend it!

[fractalfrog]

The planner is displaying introversion. Much of the time in US culture, being an introvert is seen as problematic or something. That's an attitude I wish would die in a fire last century.

[blissmorgan]

Introversion is only seen as a positive if it falls certain narratives, like the one of the introverted writer or artist, which is allowable because they ostensibly produce a thing that can then be commodified. :-/