I was fully engaged, I didn't google for a face, and I thought of Montaigne speculating whether or not cats have souls and if the reality of his cat's relationship with him was that he was the cat's plaything. Hmmmm. You may not know Montaigne. He was initially memory-holed by the Catholic church (maybe Anglican too) for positing that animals have souls. And now memory holed because his creativity and intelligence demands an openness to curiosity of what is true. Not to be encouraged for at least 150 years.
No I didn't but I am now investigating! I'm glad you liked this one, I became obsessed for a while by what constitutes boring and could see clearly in myself that all the things I think are so interesting are NOT for everyone. My husband I suspect turns his hearing aides off but he has an excellent 'listening face'.
Is it Michel de Montaigne? I notice he died of a quinsy of which I have experienced several - horrible way to go I should think?!
Yes. Quinsy? Que es? What's that? I thought a fruit... oops. That's *quince*. Certainly not the American doctor. Oops, that was Quincey! If you mean kidney stone, then yes. He suffered them badly all is life. The last one cut him badly enough that it became infected. He died, eventually, of sepsis.
I hope I have moved mostly out of my obsessive talking about stuff that bores people. Last year I became super aware late into my spiel and then super embarrassed afterwards. I've been more careful since.
A quinsy is a septic tonsil. The tonsils enlarge so much that they block your throat and you can't breathe or swallow. It's pretty grim. So yes sepsis sounds right for cause of death. I am currently reading about his fascinating upbringing. It's extraordinary. I try also to be super aware not to talk too much but that can be challenging when you have just finished an excellent documentary or book and you are enthused!
This was great April! Very funny, very engaging, and very thorough.
Some of your questions really made me think about my own behaviours, and I’m worried that if I had of added up my tally, I may have tipped over into the danger (boring) zone. But I loved how you just flipped it on us and said - “the score doesn’t matter, I just wanted you to consider these questions” - that was brilliant.
I also really like that you went and sat in on free lectures on topics your not interested in — that is a really cool thing to do that I don’t think many would be open minded enough to try. And I think you made a very important point about how sometimes what makes something interesting is how engaging the person is who’s teaching it.
I also really liked a bunch of your lines, I have copied and pasted a few that I particularly liked below:
“I spent too much time trying to explain things to people who absolutely did not want to know. But how much time should we spend on talking about things that we are passionate about and do we know when to stop?” —- this is actually such a good question to ask ourselves!
“I urge you to explore Boredom. Don’t fill a bored space by picking up your phone or browsing the internet, see what it feels like to do nothing, allow your brain to go it’s own way. I find that a moment of boredom if left to brew on it’s own soon results in creativity.” —- I couldn’t agree more! You sum this up so well.
“I think that anyone who is passionate about something is engaging with life and is therefore not a boring person.” — I totally agree with this as well, and I will add I am somewhat confused by people who are not passionate about anything.
And last but not least —- “Hold on. Let me stop you right there.” —- that is amazing and hilarious.
Michael - what a Star! Great comment that made me feel heard which is what we are here for after all - thank you. Now tell me which essay of yours that you recommend next? I'd like to read about your skateboarding passion, any on that? I love to read about something I know absolutely nothing about and feel the joy and obsession that someone else feels for something through their descriptions.
Oooo Michael you're a brave man. I will have a look at both of those posts tonight, I like to hear what someone likes best about their own work. Doesn't it make us look at our own stuff from another persons perspective and wonder, hmm... is this boring or not??
As to my posts.... it depends if you like 'woo woo or anarchy' as one friend put it - they vary to such extremes. But I would love someone to be brave enough to listen to one of my fiction stories 🙏 are you the person brave enough? ha ha. I have a post called Judgement Day which is about cockroaches mostly and at the end is an audio of a short story. I am as fascinated about how we judge each other.... perhaps even more so than how interested I am in people who do not 'wonder' (BORING PEOPLE Ssshhh 🤫)
Okay cool, that sounds interesting. I’ll check out your fiction piece about cockroaches —later on today when I have time — I’m actually very intrigued...
And it seems great minds think alike because, I also wrote a short fiction piece about cockroaches (that may or may not be based on true events) it’s called ‘Katsaridaphobia’.
Yeah that fiction piece is on my substack, I think it’s my second or third post. I can send you the link if you need, but it should be easy enough to find in the archives as I don’t have that many pieces out anyway. It’s ‘Katsaridaphobia’ and it’s very short.
and isnt being boring like the biggest insult! You are so angry! would not have the punch as, You are so boring! But you know why we dont tell others they are boring? - in case they turn around and tell us we are boring! Exclamation mark! And we know why that is there too!
Delightful.
I was fully engaged, I didn't google for a face, and I thought of Montaigne speculating whether or not cats have souls and if the reality of his cat's relationship with him was that he was the cat's plaything. Hmmmm. You may not know Montaigne. He was initially memory-holed by the Catholic church (maybe Anglican too) for positing that animals have souls. And now memory holed because his creativity and intelligence demands an openness to curiosity of what is true. Not to be encouraged for at least 150 years.
No I didn't but I am now investigating! I'm glad you liked this one, I became obsessed for a while by what constitutes boring and could see clearly in myself that all the things I think are so interesting are NOT for everyone. My husband I suspect turns his hearing aides off but he has an excellent 'listening face'.
Is it Michel de Montaigne? I notice he died of a quinsy of which I have experienced several - horrible way to go I should think?!
Yes. Quinsy? Que es? What's that? I thought a fruit... oops. That's *quince*. Certainly not the American doctor. Oops, that was Quincey! If you mean kidney stone, then yes. He suffered them badly all is life. The last one cut him badly enough that it became infected. He died, eventually, of sepsis.
I hope I have moved mostly out of my obsessive talking about stuff that bores people. Last year I became super aware late into my spiel and then super embarrassed afterwards. I've been more careful since.
A quinsy is a septic tonsil. The tonsils enlarge so much that they block your throat and you can't breathe or swallow. It's pretty grim. So yes sepsis sounds right for cause of death. I am currently reading about his fascinating upbringing. It's extraordinary. I try also to be super aware not to talk too much but that can be challenging when you have just finished an excellent documentary or book and you are enthused!
Wonderful!
I'm just under halfway through his complete writings, essays, travelogue and letters. Wonderful wonderful.
A super introduction is Sarah Bakewell's amazing biography.
*How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer*
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7624457-how-to-live
That looks like just my sort of book. I have added it to my 'books to order from the library' list! Thank you 🙏
This was great April! Very funny, very engaging, and very thorough.
Some of your questions really made me think about my own behaviours, and I’m worried that if I had of added up my tally, I may have tipped over into the danger (boring) zone. But I loved how you just flipped it on us and said - “the score doesn’t matter, I just wanted you to consider these questions” - that was brilliant.
I also really like that you went and sat in on free lectures on topics your not interested in — that is a really cool thing to do that I don’t think many would be open minded enough to try. And I think you made a very important point about how sometimes what makes something interesting is how engaging the person is who’s teaching it.
I also really liked a bunch of your lines, I have copied and pasted a few that I particularly liked below:
“I spent too much time trying to explain things to people who absolutely did not want to know. But how much time should we spend on talking about things that we are passionate about and do we know when to stop?” —- this is actually such a good question to ask ourselves!
“I urge you to explore Boredom. Don’t fill a bored space by picking up your phone or browsing the internet, see what it feels like to do nothing, allow your brain to go it’s own way. I find that a moment of boredom if left to brew on it’s own soon results in creativity.” —- I couldn’t agree more! You sum this up so well.
“I think that anyone who is passionate about something is engaging with life and is therefore not a boring person.” — I totally agree with this as well, and I will add I am somewhat confused by people who are not passionate about anything.
And last but not least —- “Hold on. Let me stop you right there.” —- that is amazing and hilarious.
Thanks April, this was great.
Michael - what a Star! Great comment that made me feel heard which is what we are here for after all - thank you. Now tell me which essay of yours that you recommend next? I'd like to read about your skateboarding passion, any on that? I love to read about something I know absolutely nothing about and feel the joy and obsession that someone else feels for something through their descriptions.
Good to hear April, and yes, it’s definitely a part of why I’m here.
It pains me to say I do not have anything about skateboarding up on my substack yet - but it is certainly coming, (soon enough).
Umm, people seemed to like my latest post called - The DuckMole Paradoxus.
But you may like my piece called - the view from above. That’s about the time I went skydiving.
What about you? Which of your pieces would you recommend I read next?
Oooo Michael you're a brave man. I will have a look at both of those posts tonight, I like to hear what someone likes best about their own work. Doesn't it make us look at our own stuff from another persons perspective and wonder, hmm... is this boring or not??
As to my posts.... it depends if you like 'woo woo or anarchy' as one friend put it - they vary to such extremes. But I would love someone to be brave enough to listen to one of my fiction stories 🙏 are you the person brave enough? ha ha. I have a post called Judgement Day which is about cockroaches mostly and at the end is an audio of a short story. I am as fascinated about how we judge each other.... perhaps even more so than how interested I am in people who do not 'wonder' (BORING PEOPLE Ssshhh 🤫)
Be brave Michael.... be very very brave!!!!!
Okay cool, that sounds interesting. I’ll check out your fiction piece about cockroaches —later on today when I have time — I’m actually very intrigued...
And it seems great minds think alike because, I also wrote a short fiction piece about cockroaches (that may or may not be based on true events) it’s called ‘Katsaridaphobia’.
Yes Michael!!!! We ARE GREAT MINDS... because we are forever curious ha ha. Is that fiction piece listed on your Substack?
Yeah that fiction piece is on my substack, I think it’s my second or third post. I can send you the link if you need, but it should be easy enough to find in the archives as I don’t have that many pieces out anyway. It’s ‘Katsaridaphobia’ and it’s very short.
and isnt being boring like the biggest insult! You are so angry! would not have the punch as, You are so boring! But you know why we dont tell others they are boring? - in case they turn around and tell us we are boring! Exclamation mark! And we know why that is there too!
Yep. I looked in the mirror too ha ha. Luckily I find so many things so interesting I was instantly distracted....
hahaha
boring management classes, thats whats next.
Well I admire your desire to help these people. I will be interested to hear about how you get on. But I prefer the lie and run away method.