On the value of friendlessness

[Dukasaur]

Found this quote on the internet today.

That my own life is a hollow succession of meaningless days filled with futile activity is a given, but at least I don’t have to pretend to be fascinated by it. Friendship demands that I be wholly engrossed in the latest re-telling of the trivial nothings that constitute the equally banal life of another.

[riskllama]

hahaha, touché.

[KoolBak]

Background for post?

[Dukasaur]

Background for post?

Just, I do a lot of reading and I'm always struck by how much really bad writing is out there. This was a problem already in the print age, but the internet has made it far, far worse. It's incredible how many 'writers' have no real feeling for their craft. And yet, sometimes even in the worst pile of dung one finds a diamond ring. A beautiful paragraph, or maybe even a beautiful line or two. Maybe you've noticed, maybe you haven't, but lately I've taken to quoting well-written paragraphs from otherwise lousy articles. I just get so excited when I find some genuine bit of art in what is otherwise a pile of dung. Maybe it's the same thing that motivates yard-sale people.

The piece above wasn't even in the article itself; it was in the comments section below it. The article was some pedestrian bit of bullshit about why love fades. There wasn't anything remotely quotable in it, but I found that lovely gem in the comments.

I suppose it resonates with me because I've back in the dating world for the last couple months. It is a real challenge, trying to make my dull life sound interesting to a stranger. If I was more capable of lying it would be a lot easier, but one thing I am is compulsively honest. I might spin things and embellish a bit, but I never tell an outright lie. Under those circumstances, making my boring blue-collar life sound like something that isn't completely banal and pointless is an enormous challenge indeed. But what's an even greater challenge is staying alert and trying to show interest while they spill out the stories of their equally banal and pointless lives.

[riskllama]

lol yeah, feigning interest & lying are valuable skills to have, Duk. good luck to you, sir!

[HitRed]

Keep looking for the spark.

[Dukasaur]

Marinus van der Lubbe found a spark. Didn't do him any good.

[HitRed]

You're in a dark mood today.

[2dimes]

I do a lot of reading and I'm always struck by how much really bad writing is out there. This was a problem already in the print age, but the internet has made it far, far worse. It's incredible how many 'writers' have no real feeling for their craft. And yet, sometimes even in the worst pile of dung one finds a diamond ring. A beautiful paragraph, or maybe even a beautiful line or two.

You're welcome. Glad I could help brighten your day occasionally.

[bigtoughralf]

Sounds like Duk needs to move the conversation away from 'what did you do today'. Even if you're a bomb disposal expert, you'll get pretty bored talking about it if you've already told it to 100 other dates.

I probably wouldn't open with all that stuff from the OP about how life is futile though. Sounds a bit emo.

[Dukasaur]

whether the glory that surrounded you surpassed all human description, or the severest and most ignominious human judgment was passed on you -- eternity asks you and every one of these millions of millions, just one thing: whether you have lived in despair or not,
[...]
If then, if you have lived in despair, then whatever else you won or lost, for you everything is lost, eternity does not acknowledge you, it never knew you, or, still more dreadful, it knows you as you are known, it manacles you to yourself in despair!”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death

[bigtoughralf]

Think we're starting to see where your dates are going wrong.

[jonesthecurl]

HG Wells put it better than I can, in The History of Mr Polly -but boredom is always your own fault.

[HitRed]

Maybe a librarian would be a good fit.

[Dukasaur]

HG Wells put it better than I can, in The History of Mr Polly -but boredom is always your own fault.

That was one of only two moral lessons I learned from my mother. Her way of putting it was less concise, but still very strong. "Only stupid people are bored. The intelligent person is always busy pondering some mystery or other, even in the complete absence of external stimuli."

The other lesson my mother drilled into me was, "All civilization depends on trigonometry. Without trigonometry we would still be living in caves and throwing rocks at bears. If the Gestapo comes in the middle of the night, beats you black and blue and drags you away to the cells, you must still be capable of reciting the Pythagorean Theorem. If you lose trigonometry you lose everything."

[riskllama]

maybe you could make nice with rammy & ask him for some sweet dating tips, duk - sounds like he gets more ass than a toilet seat in a women's prison...

[jusplay4fun]

Found this quote on the internet today.

That my own life is a hollow succession of meaningless days filled with futile activity is a given, but at least I don’t have to pretend to be fascinated by it. Friendship demands that I be wholly engrossed in the latest re-telling of the trivial nothings that constitute the equally banal life of another.

Does Friendship and Friendliness get one anywhere?

To use a baseball analogy, did one hit a foul ball, or get a base hit? Not every hit is a homerun. And remember, some do strike out.

[KoolBak]

Dude. Truly, if you can't hit it off with someone being yourself, it ain't meant to happen. If they bore you, same thing.

You know this. I taught you better.

Now be yourself, be patient, don't settle.

Thassa gooood Duk of Death *pats head*

[jusplay4fun]

Dude. Truly, if you can't hit it off with someone being yourself, it ain't meant to happen. If they bore you, same thing.

You know this. I taught you better.

Now be yourself, be patient, don't settle.

Thassa gooood Duk of Death *pats head*

Yes,

hit it off

EXACTLY.

Not everyone you meet will be "your type." That is why to be in LOVE is so special.

Try this song:



https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=8mxIHL6d-RM&list=RDAMVM8mxIHL6d-RM

[bigtoughralf]

maybe you could make nice with rammy & ask him for some sweet dating tips, duk - sounds like he gets more ass than a toilet seat in a women's prison...

Don't women prisoners piss standing up to reduce the risk of surprise stabbings?

[riskllama]