A few days ago I wrote about the phone, and my general desire to not use it. Ever. But there’s a little more to it than that – barely under the surface, there’s a general disdain for other people, for human interaction. I fall into this trap easily, and willingly, fully aware of what I’m doing. And it’s fine. I like being alone, and I don’t often feel lonely, or compelled to seek out interaction with other people.
I mentioned a phone call that kicks off the podcast S-Town. A phone call I would have blown off, avoided, because the very premise of the call was all wrong – it was obviously not the transactional interaction that I would have wanted it to be. Of course, the reporter, being a reporter, followed through with a call, and what followed was a wild and baffling exchange that eventually evolved into a long and involved relationship (no, not _that_ kind of relationship) with one of the most interesting people I’ve heard or read about. Really a fascinating person, the kind that makes you question everything about yourself, or maybe all about the world, _even if_ they’re difficult to be around. (I’m only 2 episodes in, so maybe by the time I finish the series, I’ll have discovered it wasn’t a real person or something. Don’t spoil this for me.)
When we interact with no one, or only with a small group of friends and family that we already know well, it’s easy to stay comfortable. To exist safely in a cocoon of our own ideas and philosophies, safely protected from the difficulty and discomfort of facing interactions and people who don’t share them, might have their own. This is safe, comfortable, and boring. To rehash a quote:
When the outcome of a game is certain, we call it quits and begin another. This is why many people object to having their fortunes told: not that fortunetelling is mere superstition or that the predictions would be horrible, but simply that the more surely the future is known, the less surprise and the less fun in living it.
Watts, Alan W | The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
Other people are wildcards. Other people _can’t be controlled_. Other people force us to re-examine our beliefs, and introduce us to new ones. It can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Sometimes it’s useless, because lots of people are actually terribly boring.
But if you want to life the kind of uncertain, adventurous life Watts refers to, it’s probably worth picking up the phone on occasion, and talking to the clearly crazy person on the other end.
Peter Butler 