eccentric
Member
for those of you who have read the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy - douglas Adams ( sadly departed ) - the following may be familiar - for those of you who have not - well go buy a copy today !!
QUESTION : do any of you feel like you are invisible ?? - no not quite literally - but people just don't seem to see you - they don't acknowledge you or ignore what contribution you make in life ?? - can you walk down a crowded street and yet for all intents an purposes not be there as far as the rest of the world go"s ?? - are you the sort of person that .IF you get invited to a social gathering /party/ whatever - stand in a corner ( well you could stand in the middle of the room naked and the result would be the same ) - and leave early ?? - again like you are not there ?? - the answer is there is a SEP ( someone else"s problem field around you )
now this is "supposed " to be a fictional entity - Adams postulated :
" An SEP is something we can't see, or don't see, or our brain doesn't let us see, because we think that it's somebody Else's problem.... The brain just edits it out, it's like a blind spot. If you look at it directly you won't see it unless you know precisely what it is. Your only hope is to catch it by surprise out of the corner of your eye. "
and further :
" This is because it relies on people's natural predisposition not to see anything they don't want to, weren't expecting, or can't explain. "
for those of you already confused - let me lend a machete to the intellectual thicket - take for example litter - we throw down a piece of litter - say a fag packet - ( or for you rabid anti smokers a nicotine gum packet ) - if we put it in the bin - take it home and recycle it - or just chuck it down on the floor - it becomes "someone else's problem " - and thus to all intents and purposes invisible - when did you last notice a lone fag packet lying on the street ?? - you don't do you - the brain does not register it as it is not important to you - or if you do it is someone else's problem - so you pass on by
and i am beginning to wonder if it is the same with some of us - are we invisible ?? - because we do not have a large social circle and may in fact be alone totally in a large city - - we move around and don't or rarely interact with people - OK a few sales people maybe - but to them you are just another faceless customer - and once they have served you - again you cease to be "their "problem
- like wise you may be about ( in extremis ) to top yourself - but you are someone else's problem - social services - the state - the medics - but not theirs - so again you do not exist to most people - oh sure they will go OMG if you DID top yourself in a busy street - but then they would just pass on and go to the nearest councillor ( or sue some one for mental distress ) - but would they try to stop you ?? - i doubt it somehow - as i say this an extreme example - but i hope you are beginning to see my point here
take for instance disabled people ( a subject dear to my heart ) - the guy /girl in a wheelchair - do we actually "see " them ?? - we may glance and think poor devil - but then our attention is caught by the sale in that shop you where heading for and the disabled person "disappears " - someone Else's problem - not yours - in fact i have seen people talk to the person pushing a chair and for all the notice that gets taken of the occupant - they may as well NOT be there
now you may think that eccentric has definitely lost the plot here ( in fact there may be some evidence to back up that assumption ) - but if you are one of the "invisible people " - then you will possibly identify with what i am saying
any ways - something to ponder over the holidays - talking of which ........I am NOT going to wish you a "merry " Christmas and a "happy " new year - what i will wish you is a better year next year than the probably lousy one you have had this year
( just don't hold your breath :roll: )
regards to you all
eccentric - who to qoute the nearest jedi knight is " just a figment of your imagination " :lol:
QUESTION : do any of you feel like you are invisible ?? - no not quite literally - but people just don't seem to see you - they don't acknowledge you or ignore what contribution you make in life ?? - can you walk down a crowded street and yet for all intents an purposes not be there as far as the rest of the world go"s ?? - are you the sort of person that .IF you get invited to a social gathering /party/ whatever - stand in a corner ( well you could stand in the middle of the room naked and the result would be the same ) - and leave early ?? - again like you are not there ?? - the answer is there is a SEP ( someone else"s problem field around you )
now this is "supposed " to be a fictional entity - Adams postulated :
" An SEP is something we can't see, or don't see, or our brain doesn't let us see, because we think that it's somebody Else's problem.... The brain just edits it out, it's like a blind spot. If you look at it directly you won't see it unless you know precisely what it is. Your only hope is to catch it by surprise out of the corner of your eye. "
and further :
" This is because it relies on people's natural predisposition not to see anything they don't want to, weren't expecting, or can't explain. "
for those of you already confused - let me lend a machete to the intellectual thicket - take for example litter - we throw down a piece of litter - say a fag packet - ( or for you rabid anti smokers a nicotine gum packet ) - if we put it in the bin - take it home and recycle it - or just chuck it down on the floor - it becomes "someone else's problem " - and thus to all intents and purposes invisible - when did you last notice a lone fag packet lying on the street ?? - you don't do you - the brain does not register it as it is not important to you - or if you do it is someone else's problem - so you pass on by
and i am beginning to wonder if it is the same with some of us - are we invisible ?? - because we do not have a large social circle and may in fact be alone totally in a large city - - we move around and don't or rarely interact with people - OK a few sales people maybe - but to them you are just another faceless customer - and once they have served you - again you cease to be "their "problem
- like wise you may be about ( in extremis ) to top yourself - but you are someone else's problem - social services - the state - the medics - but not theirs - so again you do not exist to most people - oh sure they will go OMG if you DID top yourself in a busy street - but then they would just pass on and go to the nearest councillor ( or sue some one for mental distress ) - but would they try to stop you ?? - i doubt it somehow - as i say this an extreme example - but i hope you are beginning to see my point here
take for instance disabled people ( a subject dear to my heart ) - the guy /girl in a wheelchair - do we actually "see " them ?? - we may glance and think poor devil - but then our attention is caught by the sale in that shop you where heading for and the disabled person "disappears " - someone Else's problem - not yours - in fact i have seen people talk to the person pushing a chair and for all the notice that gets taken of the occupant - they may as well NOT be there
now you may think that eccentric has definitely lost the plot here ( in fact there may be some evidence to back up that assumption ) - but if you are one of the "invisible people " - then you will possibly identify with what i am saying
any ways - something to ponder over the holidays - talking of which ........I am NOT going to wish you a "merry " Christmas and a "happy " new year - what i will wish you is a better year next year than the probably lousy one you have had this year
( just don't hold your breath :roll: )
regards to you all
eccentric - who to qoute the nearest jedi knight is " just a figment of your imagination " :lol:
