Redtree Times

Imitatio– At the Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA

occhiolism

–n. the awareness of the smallness of your perspective, by which you couldn’t possibly draw any meaningful conclusions at all, about the world or the past or the complexities of culture, because although your life is an epic and unrepeatable anecdote, it still only has a sample size of one, and may end up being the control for a much wilder experiment happening in the next room.

— The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

This definition from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows made me both chuckle and sigh a bit. I think that might be an indicator that it might have some actual truth in it.

Is it better to feel that everyone sees things and thinks just as you do, that your view represents most people? Or is better to believe that you are singular in your thinking, that it has no relevance to nor little effect on the wider world?

I tend to go with the latter, the one that has me aware of the smallness of my perspective, the one that doesn’t really represent everyone or everything. This way I am pleasantly surprised when I do come across someone who shares some of my views.

But maybe that’s just me. The crowd in the next room might be seeing something altogether different.

As usual.