Theatre of the Mind

Dear Henry,

I don't know if this is an experience many people have, but it is something I encounter all the time and want to write it down in the hopes of figuring out some way around it. The "it" is my tendency to exhaust my interest/thought process on a subject or run the matter in my head rather than actually putting anything to paper or engage a live person with my thoughts. One always has a high opinion of one's cleverness, I believe David Brin captured this sentiment by saying "ask any crowd and they will nod in unison that the masses are manipulated by propaganda, then ask them whether they see through the propaganda themselves, and everyone will nod". Self-blindness being always a fun topic to discuss.

The consequence of this playing the ideas out in mind until boredom or the next shiny thing come along is that I a) don't get much writing/projects done and b) my arguments/profound thoughts sound really flat when they are used in actual conversation. "it sounded much better in my head" is a sad thought that has plagued many a subway ride home.

It does sort of play into a couple of 21st century themes: Isolation, solipsism, the primacy of the brain, passive consumption instead of active engagement. Although I guess it isn't really that new as stream of conscious has been kicked around by novelist for the past 100 years. That thought is not particularly comforting.

This blog post is taking a long time to finish. It really isn't writing itself. Perhaps if I was a neuroscientist I would have a little to say a out how the mind works and how the chemical make up of my brain creates my tendency to be a dreamer rather than a man of action. As interesting as that might be, I am certain the solution would involve a pharmaceutical cocktail that I would not be the least bit inclined to take.

Depending of The theological background, I could have a spiritual comment. That it is either God's gift or test of my mettle. What follows (other than prayer) is unclear to me. I am familiar enough with scripture that it isn't really interested with this problem, and when it is it views dreaming as a distraction from greater things.

So where does this leave me? I feel I have come full circle, a lot of thought with no action. I am left with no resolution. I do have some consolidation at having written this entry. I think I will need to return to this next month.

Till next time,

S