Althouse: "Most of us could be photographed from the day of our birth to the day of our death and the film shown, without producing any emotion except boredom and disgust."

October 10, 2017

"Most of us could be photographed from the day of our birth to the day of our death and the film shown, without producing any emotion except boredom and disgust."

"It would all just look like monkeys scratching. How do you feel about your friends’ home movies about their baby or their trip? Isn’t it a godawful bore?"

"Love of the Last Tycoon: The Authorized Text," F. Scott Fitzgerald, F. Scott.

14 comments:

rcocean said...: Speak for yourself, Scott.

My life photos would be entitled "Thousands Cheer".; 10/10/17, 10:22 AM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/10/17, 10:31 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: ""Most of us could be photographed from the day of our birth to the day of our death and the film shown, without producing any emotion except boredom and disgust.""

He's got a point. Human trappings aside, for the most part it would look like the life of any other primate.; 10/10/17, 11:27 AM
rhhardin said...: I have 60,000 Doberman pictures, starting in 2005, on flickr.

Just take the camera every time you and the dog go outside. There's a couple complete daily Doberman lives up there.

Also be a programmer so uploading the photos is automatic.; 10/10/17, 11:37 AM
Sigivald said...: Tells me more about Fitzgerald than the human condition.; 10/10/17, 11:37 AM
BN said...: "... without producing any emotion except boredom and disgust."

So, another HW post then.; 10/10/17, 11:44 AM
Big Mike said...: "Most of us could be photographed from the day of our birth to the day of our death and the film shown, without producing any emotion except boredom and disgust."

Excluding my honeymoon, perhaps.; 10/10/17, 12:29 PM
ALP said...: Meh, I hate this kind of "life elitism". People who are always going on about how boring or mundane other lives are tend to be very empty themselves, and greatly fear looking inward for any length of time - they might find they are routine and boring as well. Or at least not as special as they thought they were. Much safer to examine and judge the lives of others.

I recently learned of the concept of Amor fati - Latin for "love your life", including all its failings and flaws (which would include tedious boredom). I can't get it out of my head as I immediately recognized the idea as the foundation of my own stoic, "It is what it is" mentality. AMOR FATI - where have you been all my life? Who knew watching an analysis of "Rick and Morty" would lead to such a revelation!; 10/10/17, 12:30 PM
John Nowak said...: >Meh, I hate this kind of "life elitism".

Me too. I've always suspected Nabokov was satirizing it in Lolita.; 10/10/17, 12:44 PM
rcocean said...: Y'know why F. Scott wrote that line? Its because his life was like that. An extremely sensitive and intelligent man, he got bored easily. Which led him to drink, which led his work to be crap, which led to disgust.

He was also an obnoxious drunk. The kind that doesn't get drunk and put a lampshade on his head. Instead, F. Scott would get drunk and call the party hostess a whore, insult every one else and end with a fistfight.

He'd then apologize, but later do it again. Apologize again, etc. until most people got fed up and stopped socializing with him. That's one reason he died alone in Hollywood.; 10/10/17, 3:42 PM
D 2 said...: I want to dispute the (often) heard idea that intelligent people are easily bored. Although I may be too dumb to argue it concisely, and then y'all wander off before the final point.

I get the despairing part - a smart person in my family tends to be more morose over humanity than her siblings - but I would wager a few coins she is busy learning new subjects (be it hands-on applicational stuff or digging deeper into music, books, etc) because she has the mind to do it, while the rest of us (incl me) dont reach out as much, and stay on well worn trails.

The moroseness is presumably a lack of self doubt the rest of us enjoy.; 10/10/17, 4:26 PM
Michael K said...: He was also an obnoxious drunk. The kind that doesn't get drunk and put a lampshade on his head. Instead, F. Scott would get drunk and call the party hostess a whore, insult every one else and end with a fistfight.

Yes. He was an asshole. Zelda was crazy but he was just a nasty drunk.

The Murphys put up with him out of politeness but he was a mess and his last years were drowned in alcohol.

I read a lot about him back when I was in college.

"Beloved Infidel, by his mistress Sheila Graham is pretty good but she lightened up the true story.; 10/10/17, 6:52 PM
Baronger said...: Its all in the editing
Take the time to add music voiceover

Look at what of you tubers do

Also tired of intelligent people are easily bored and trope
Unimaginable people are easily bored and people uncomfortable being alone in their own skin

Learn to meditate daydream and think.; 10/11/17, 1:39 AM
Chalchiuhticue Naabah said...: its was really valuable. thanks
dragon ball super | animeyt | kissanime; 10/11/17, 3:27 AM