Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Wonderful Wednesday

This Wednesday I bring you a quote from a very intriguing writer. I read this in Time Magazine 2/12/18 issue. 

Food for thought to fill this Wednesday.  It was provocative enough for a discussion with my writer friends at a Sunday gathering.  What do you think?

Zadie Smith, literary author, has a new collection of essays, Feel Free. In one essay she writes,

      When I find myself sitting at dinner next to someone who knows just as much about novels as I do but has somehow also found the mental space to adore and be knowledgeable about opera, have strong opinions about the relative rankings of Renaissance painters, and encyclopedic knowledge of the English Civil War, of French wines - I feel an anxiety that nudges beyond the envious into the existential. How did she find the time?

We all agreed that we've been there. We think we've read quite a bit, we can speak about quite a lot, and then we are flummoxed by that person who seems to know it all.......dang. 

Inferiority complex, heck yeah!

How about you?  Have you felt so smart, and then really dumb on occasion?

12 comments:

  1. Been there, done that!

    Mostly on a binge-fest of inadequate... :)

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    1. hey, let's sit next to each other at that dinner table.

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  2. Let's just say those with a head full of topics from opera to Civil Wars as writers do lots of research...as dinner companions...I'd be envious of their French wine knowledge. Just sayin'...from one who has a head full of what husband calls 'Useless Information' when it comes to 'What's for dinner'.

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    1. useless info serves an excellent purpose. I'd enjoy sitting next to you and chatting

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  3. Some people just find more opportunities. And time of course!

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  4. Some have less life things, like kids, pets, work hours, and can do that. Power to them.

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    1. exactly. And some folks can retain more. I can't quote obscure things, but I might have read about them...just interesting perspective

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  5. I very rarely feel smart, to be honest :-)

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    1. but I have no doubt you are very fun to chat with. It's all in perspective. I am sure that Zadie Smith is quite fascinating, but cool that she has such insecure feelings at times too.

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  6. I've never had that experience. When I've been in conversation with people who seem to know it all, I've found that they're often more full of BS than they are of knowledge.

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  7. I feel dumb all the time. Ha! I just keep on keeping on. :-)

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