"various ideas which may be byproducts of everyday life, snatches of conversation overheard in the street or, for that matter, dreams. Once noted, these may lead to more systematic thinking, as well as lend intellectual relevance to more directed experience."
He notes:
"As a social scientist, you have to … capture what you experience and sort it out; only in this way can you hope to use it to guide and test your reflection, and in the process shape yourself as an intellectual craftsman. But how can you do this? One answer is: you must set up a file…"
I have a notebook I take with me everywhere specifically for this purpose, to write down random thoughts that most of us just brush off or forget. I won't bore any of you (or myself for that matter) with typing each one out, but here are a good amount from this last month**
**note that these thoughts are all from my brain unless it's something I took from another person's brain/mouth, in which case I will quote and cite accordingly.
- If I can't tell what you're supposed to be for Halloween, you probably shouldn't have been that thing, e.g., orange sophie shorts and an orange push-up bra…oh…you're an M&M? Yeah I guess I see that. (actual phrasing from notebook)
- Afterlife vs. PTSD (not sure where I was going with this but I threw it in to see if anyone wanted to weigh in. Could lead you to cool thoughts)
- Don't let big business rule your fashion sense (I wrote this one really big so I must really agree. Which I do).
- The idea of a white teacher making a difference in a low-income school who doesn't want a movie made about her.
- Bonding with a stranger about how you're both mutual friends of "so-and-so" who you both know is REALLY strange. Because if you both appreciate the weirdness of someone (and like it), then you'll probably like each other, too. (You know Jordan!? Weird kid, huh?)
- Wes Anderson film about a funeral director.
- Wes Anderson film about thumbs (again, no idea where this was going but I had to add it in here. I just had to.)
- Book I want to read: Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
- College kids used to change the world, protest, etc.. Now we sit on Facebook and type about changing it.
- "They have you convinced you're comfortable." (overheard during lecture)
- I saw a Craigslist ad where a girl is forcing her friend with this plan she has to get "fall boyfriends" (guys to tag along this season and do coupley things with like ice skate, christmas light tours, cuddling by the fireplace, etc). Anyway, this kid in my history class seems like the total type of dude that would respond to this sort of thing. Steal this movie idea: make this history class guy force his buddy to go along with him when responding to the ad, and make the two unwilling friends fall in love. You can thank me later after your film hits top of the box office.
- Book I want to read: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- I can't wait to look back on my life at all my mistakes.
- "You get in an elevator with me…We're talking." (some dude in lecture)
- Performance art idea (you can take this too because I think it would be the best thing in the world): artist who stays still for a lifetime while a pea tendril wraps/grows around them (HAHAHA think Marina Abramovic's The Artist is Present. Also, I was in Agriculture at the time of this beautiful brain-creation).
- Female clothing department: juniors vs misses (which means unmarried women) vs women's (which is plus size). What is this supposed to tell us about "girl" versus the term "woman"? Not to mention, male's department gets boys vs mens.
- To do: visit the Living Bridge
- Every day, this is all anyone is doing. All over the world, we just wake up and try to not die that day. That's the real goal here. Don't die. Stay out of danger. Avoid death. Avoid the inevitable?
- Sometimes you're 5 and love the world. Somethings you're 100 and ready for it to be done.
- Remember to look up.
- I wonder if he would still have a girlfriend if he wasn't attractive. Because his personality sucks.
- "Are we human or are we dancer or are we Prancer?"(heard this in line getting coffee but obviously The Killers also deserve credit here)
- Was I born with common sense or do I just automatically have something that so many others seem to lack? Is this cocky to think? Wait, is using the word "cocky" sexist? (actual phrasing in notebook)
- I like when people nicely comment on the things they sit on as they sit on them - "Oh, I like this! Kinda comfy!" I don't like it when they comment negatively - "Ugh this seat is so warm." Actually, that one I like because at least they're being observant and it's kind of hilarious when that happens to someone. But I don't like this one: "Ugh, this seat has a crack in it. So annoying." You know what I find annoying!? Complaining about plastic chairs having cracks! (This one was too strange to omit from this post. Don't judge me…)
You're welcome for a peak inside of my brain. Notice I didn't say "a detailed look and analysis of my brain" because that would be terrifying and I would lose many acquaintances.
And if you want to read more on C. Wright Mills's fringe thought concept (but I recommend reading the entire book), here's an excerpt.
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/about
