Judgment

I had an interesting experience. I now work in the electronics section of Costco. I approached someone to answer his obvious questions about the hard drive he was staring down like a cow stares at an oncoming train. He then asked me if another employee that I work with was there. I replied that he was on break and that I was happy to answer his questions.

Somewhat reluctantly he asked me his question. After I answered, he then bombarded me with questions about all sorts of different things for the next forty minutes. When he was out of questions, he took a step back and regarded me from top to bottom. His next statement surprised me. "When you first came up, you looked like you would know more about athletics than electronics." I was slightly flustered at his candor. It's safe to say that it gave me some food for thought.

It's amazing how much we judge. We do it so much we don't even know how much we do it. I did it as well when I first approached him. And it made me realize that my choice of major in college also surprises people. It's funny that people equate physical prowess with a lack of higher brain function and creativity. As if I need to be skinny and nerdy to be creative. This was especially apparent when my teacher unexpectedly asked me to present my paper to my senior seminar class the other day. This was the college equivalent of the teacher reading the names aloud of the kids who got an A on the spelling quiz in first grade. As I read my thesis statement in a paper about false conceptions about love in LDS culture as made apparent in the movie Inception, I could almost hear my fellow classmates' opinion of me changing.

Now I don't say this to set myself up as a pariah or anything, it's just interesting. Because the opposite may also be true. As much as we categorize and label others negatively, the opposite also occurs. Too often, we are inclined to give others the benefit of the doubt. Especially when they appear to be so happy and "put together" or when they fit in with our prejudices. When in fact, often "in the quiet heart is hidden / sorrow that the eye can't see."

[Keep Following. Food for thought.]

INterCEPTION

O.K. Here is the deal. I am an elitist. Some of you may know this about me. Some of you may be elitists as well. This causes me to act a certain way in certain situations.  For example, if you saw me in the grocery store or doing laundry you wouldn't even be able to tell. Other times, for example, when I sit nonchalantly in the back of a classroom or pretentiously reading a novel in Starbucks, you'll know just what I am.

I saw Inception for the second time tonight and aside from the fact that this movie is perfect, it is also just as good the second time around. The only problem with this movie is that it is popular. And the elitist in me kicks against this prick. (It's a bible saying. For the layman.) The elitist in me wants people to not like this movie. The elitist in me wants others to "not get it." I hate that everyone and their grandma on Facebook is like "OMG INCEPTION WAS SO RAD DAWG!" Case in Point:

No thank you. I hate that I have anything in common with you. Stop trying to talk to me about this movie. If this movie were any less marvelous I would consider not liking it just to spite this guy ^ . But it was simply too spectacular to justify anything of the sort.

The only way I can reconcile this conundrum is to lie to myself and simply tell myself that "they didn't understand it as well as me." That they simply "don't perceive the movie's metaphorical or philosophical depth." And so it stands. Please don't say that you liked this movie unless you can have a dialogue that ventures deeper than, "I LIKED THE PART WHERE THE GUY USED THE GRENADE LAUNCHER." Christopher Nolan didn't spend $200 million dollars and 10 years perfecting a script so you could ruin it with your insipid, vapid and utterly banal observations. Do me a favor and go get high and watch Marmaduke again.

I know. I am rude.

[Keep following. I told you more rants were coming.]