perception(1/3)
A sense of belonging
Your sense of belonging within a community is affected by the interplay between identity, perception, and reciprocity. Belonging, at least as an emotional experience, is never static. You move through networks of communities on a daily basis, with each community supporting a range of belonging that fluctuates based on the three factors I’ve listed and likely more. Here I’ll explore how these factors influence one’s sense of belonging in a single community and the consequences thereof.…
Wickedness is more noticable than goodness
[Reynie said] “I see things differently now, and it’s… bothering me, I suppose.” Mr. Benedict gazed at Reynie, stroking a bristly patch on his chin that he’d missed with his razor. He exhaled through his lumpy nose. “Since your mission, you mean?” Reynie nodded. “You mean to say,” said Mr. Benedict after reflecting a moment, “That you’re disturbed by the wickedness of which so many people seem capable. My brother, for example, but also his Executives, his henchmen, the other students at the Institute–”…
Evil seems fair and feels foul
You have frightened me several times tonight, but never in the way that servants of the Enemy would, or so I imagine. I think of of his spies would–well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand. (Frodo speaking with Strider about trusting him, though they’ve only just met.)
Four reactions to a shattered bowl
I was playing bridge one evening with a musician, a chemistry teacher, and a painter when, during a particularly tense hand, a large porcelain bowl that we kept on the piano suddenly shattered. After we had all calmed ourselves down, we found four completely individual reactions. Looking at all the tiny scattered pieces, I thought that I had never realized before how final a metaphor a broken bowl could be. The chemistry teacher pointed out that someone had emptied an ashtray into the bowl with a cigarette still burning, and of course the heat had shattered the bowl.…