Post by Placido on Feb 21, 2004 2:12:50 GMT -5
It's a phrase from a Douglas Adams book, 'Life, the Universe and Everything', and it describes the art of flying - you launch yourself on a suicidal plunge, and then, at the last second, something distracts you and you forget your impending demise, and focus on the distraction - and then you fly!
I keep thinking that's what conversation is like - a terrifying plunge, and then, hopefully sometimes, even more hopefully always, you actually become interested in what the other person is saying, and you forget your impending social death, and it all works - you're flying! You're making a human connection!
I think it's a nice metaphor for that moment when you forget yourself, forget your shyness, and get caught up in another person's world. And it seems like non-shy people can fly whenever they want, whereas we have to work hard at it, or not work hard at it, I can never decide which...
I keep thinking that's what conversation is like - a terrifying plunge, and then, hopefully sometimes, even more hopefully always, you actually become interested in what the other person is saying, and you forget your impending social death, and it all works - you're flying! You're making a human connection!
I think it's a nice metaphor for that moment when you forget yourself, forget your shyness, and get caught up in another person's world. And it seems like non-shy people can fly whenever they want, whereas we have to work hard at it, or not work hard at it, I can never decide which...
